A Shot in the Forest
by myownmind
Summary: Johnny and Roy go on a camping trip. It was supposed to be a chance to unwind. As a result of a hunting accident, Roy is shot. Can Johnny find him in time or will someone else?
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I do not own Emergency, Johnny, Roy or any of the others. They belong to their original creators. I am not making any money on this story, I'm writing it simply for my own enjoyment. Hopefully, people reading it will enjoy it too._

The day was warm, perfect weather for fly fishing. Johnny felt a peace he hadn't known for a while settle over him. He heard the sound of the river gurgling past him. The sun glinted off the waves brought up by the rocks hidden just underneath the water's surface. Flies were buzzing along over the water as well, taking drinks and doing whatever else flies did. The day was perfect for fly fishing.

The cool water ran fairly quickly over the rocks. If it were deeper than his knees, Johnny would have had trouble staying upright in the force of the current. As it was, his hip waders were plastered against his legs where the water pressed against them and flowed outward on the lee side. He wasn't sure he really wanted to see if he could gain his feet again if he should happen the slip. Well, that wasn't going to happen so he moved his thoughts away from the possibilities.

After spending so much time rescuing people, the two men had decided to get away from everyone. Johnny had heard about this secluded spot, only reachable by all terrain vehicles. Johnny just happened to have a Jeep. Even then, they'd had to hike the last two miles to find just the right spot. They'd pitched their tent in a small clearing just by the river.

Down stream and around a treed bend Roy was also enjoying the day. The forest was still thick, despite some of the leaves starting to fall off of the deciduous trees. There were a number of evergreens as well. Roy loved Joanne and the kids but occasionally he just needed to get away for a few days. This was one of those times. He and Johnny had come up the mountains to do some camping and fishing. The fishing was less important than the camping. Well, to be honest that was even less important than just sitting around the fire at night, enjoying the peace and quiet.

They'd decided to separate because they'd fished together all morning without success. The fish were there, they just weren't biting. Frustrated, Johnny had suggested they split up and fish alone for most of the afternoon. It increased their chances of catching a fish but it also gave them a break from each other. They were the best of friends, especially on shift but their personalities were different enough that they grated on each other's nerves after a while.

Humming tunelessly, Johnny flicked his line over the river. There was a good three hours of sunlight left. He was planning on making the most of them. The younger paramedic really didn't care all that much if he caught anything but it would kill him if his partner got one and he didn't. Distantly, he wondered how Roy was doing.

A short distance away, Roy was trying to land a large fish on the other side of the river in a small eddy. He knew Johnny wasn't that far away but with the sound of the water, he couldn't have heard his partner if he'd screamed at the top of his considerable lungs. That was okay, though. Johnny was his best friend but the man could talk up a storm that made Roy's head hurt sometimes.

Roy had argued against coming camping. It was late in the fall. The trees had started turning colours. Some of them had lost their leaves. In the bright sunlight, Roy could smell the water and leaves that were beginning to rot. Normally it would have been too cold to camp in a tent such as they were doing. But an extra long Indian summer had kept the temperatures up. There was another reason why he'd not wanted to come but for the life of him, the senior paramedic hadn't been able to think of it.

As he cast and pulled the line back, Roy swore he could hear a loud bang behind him. The reason he hadn't wanted to come this time of year finally came to him. It was hunting season. Pain flashed through his right side. The force of impact knocked him into the water. The world was all ready turning black when Roy managed to roll onto his back. Then he was unconscious as he floated down stream.

"Roy?" Johnny called out suddenly. He thought he'd heard a sound. Well, a sound other than the river. Looking toward the bend where Roy was fishing, he waited to see if there was any response. There wasn't any.

Maybe Roy was okay. Being a Rescue Paramedic for the Los Angeles County Fire Department made Johnny's world full of people in trouble, in desperate need of help. Occasionally he wondered if he looked for trouble because he expected there to be something wrong. Shrugging his shoulders, knowing that he couldn't have heard his partner if he had called, Johnny set about trying to catch supper.

Time passed slowly. Johnny thought about his partner occasionally but after the fight they'd had this morning he knew the older man wanted some time alone. Could he help it if things popped in his head and he had to discuss them with Roy? He knew he'd been rattling on for a couple of hours but still. He hadn't intended to get on Roy's nerves. Johnny knew Roy had wanted peace and quiet. Oh, well, he promised himself he'd keep his thoughts to himself around the fire tonight.

--

Earlier that day, two men were making their way through the forest. Both of them held hunting rifles and were wearing camouflage pants, vests and jackets. A few beers before heading out to do their hunting and they were ready to go.

"Hey, Hank, I think I see something," Frank whispered to his brother. Yes, their parents had a sense of humour. Or at least, that was what the two brothers hoped. Either that or they were the only two names Dad could spell properly after the celebrations of their births. Dad never had a stomach for alcohol.

"I don't see anything," Hank replied just as quietly. It had been a long two hours. So far they hadn't seen anything larger than a squirrel. At this point Hank was ready to shoot them just to have something to show for their efforts.

"There, by the river," Frank said. "I think there's a deer drinking the water." Through the dense underbrush, he was sure he saw something moving around. They were so far away from the regular trails and camping spots, it had to be a deer. Didn't it?

"Nope, sorry, buddy. All I see is green," Hank told him. Beyond the layers of leaves and branches, Hank thought he might see something. What that something was, was anyone's guess. He wasn't about to start shooting indiscriminately. As much as he really wanted to bring home a steaming carcass to prove his manhood, he wasn't about to take the change of shooting just for the sake of doing it.

Three shots rang out, nearly deafening him. "What the hell, Frank?!" Hank demanded. He couldn't believe his brother had just done that.

"Okay, you were right. There's nothing there," Frank conceded as he shouldered his rifle. Without further ado, he headed further into the forest.

Hank wanted to go make sure his brother hadn't shot anyone but he wasn't familiar with this part of the woods and was afraid of getting lost. Frustrated, he turned and followed Frank's retreating back.

--

The sun was beginning to disappear behind the tree tops. Despite his best efforts, Johnny hadn't caught anything. He was grateful that he'd planned ahead and packed extra food, just in case. Besides, he really wasn't all that thrilled with the whole cleaning the fish thing. It kind of ruined his appetite.

Humming to himself, he slogged through the water and made his way toward camp. The world around him was full of the sounds of rushing water, birds and wind in the trees. He felt very much at ease in this world, almost as much at ease as when he pulled a victim out of a fire.

Their camp was nestled in a small clearing a few hundred feet away from the river. There were two tents, one for each of them. There were limits to togetherness after all. At the front of the two tents was their fire pit. The first thing Johnny noticed was that there was no fire going. Usually Roy always had the fire going by the time he came back.

"Roy?" he called out. Silence was the only response. Fear spiked through his system. "Roy?"

Quickly, Johnny searched the campsite. There was no evidence that his partner had returned after lunch. Putting down his rod, reel and tackle box, Johnny headed back toward the river. It felt like it took forever to reach the area where Roy was supposed to be fishing.

There was no one there. Cursing under his breath, Johnny moved toward the river, trying to see down it in case Roy had moved downriver. Still no one. Fear continued to burn through him. "Roy?" he called out again. Still no response.

Something told him to look down. On top of one of the larger rocks a sticky substance gleamed in the setting sun. His heart in his throat, Johnny stuck his finger in the substance and brought it up to look at it closer. Blood. Damn it. Carefully he scanned the area around the rock. There was no sign of anyone.

Terrified, Johnny climbed back out of the river and made his way along the river bank, heading down river.


	2. Chapter 2

Four hours earlier, Samantha was making her way through the chokecherry bushes. The berries were bitter but still contained vitamins she needed. Beside her stood her dog, Kita, her nose twitching. The closer they went to the river, the more attentive the husky became.

"What's up?" Samantha asked, looking down at her companion. The dog was her only friend. Her father had given Kita to her as a puppy for her thirteenth birthday. Now, at three years of age, the dog was her protector.

Kita whined. Glancing up at her master, the husky trotted over to a small eddy on their side of the river. Within seconds she was barking.

"What did you find, Kita?" Samantha asked as she went over to where her dog was pawing at a lump. She had to physically move the large animal before she could actually see what had gotten her worked up.

Her breath caught in her throat. In the shallow pool of water a man lay. He was on his back, which was the only reason why he was still alive. He would have drowned otherwise. Tentatively she moved close enough to check his neck for a pulse. His skin was cool under her fingers but he was breathing. Always a good sign. He was soaked through, his face pale. He was a good six inches taller than her and fifty pounds heavier.

"What am I to do with you?" Samantha wondered under her breath. He was alive but injured. Despite the dark color of his wet clothing, she could see the blood stain on his side. That and the awkward angle of his right arm really made her nervous. Looking around, she tried to come up with options.

They were three miles from her home. There was no one around to help her move the man. All she had with her was in the backpack on her back. Shrugging it off, she placed it on the river bank, far enough away that it wouldn't accidently fall in. She set her feet and carefully pulled the man out of the shallow water.

He was heavy. It took nearly everything she had to roll him onto his back so she could take a closer look at him. She was going to have to figure something else out to get him home. If one of the ranger stations were closer, she would take him there to be found. Unfortunately, there weren't any within a five mile distance and most of that was up hill.

Quickly, she tore a piece off of her shirt and used it as a compress. It took her a moment to build up the nerve to lift the man's shirt. She wasn't used to seeing people undressed. It set her nerves on edge. Gritting her teeth, Samantha lifted the wet fabric away from his torso. The wound was ugly. Gulping back bile, she forced the cloth over the ravaged hole. She put another piece of cloth over the smaller hole in his back and then struggled to wrap two lengths of her shirt around him to hold the compresses in place.

Satisfied that the man wasn't going to fall back into the water or bleed to death, Samantha went over to the nearest saplings. She was going to have to build a travois of some kind to move him. There 

was no way she was going to be able to put him over her shoulder. Finding three suitable saplings, she used a folding knife out of her pocket to cut them and strip them of branches.

Once she came back to where the man lay, she checked to make sure he was still alive and unconscious. He would be harder to deal with when he was awake, all men were.

Using vines that grew under the trees, she tied the top of the longest branches together. Then she secured the smaller branch a foot up from the bottom of the branches. Since she didn't have a blanket or anything else to string across the branches, Samantha used more vines to create a support for the man.

"This isn't going to be fun, Kita," she said to her dog when the travois was finished. Laying the contraption beside the man, Sam tried to carefully roll him into it. He was heavier than she'd anticipated. The only way she was going to be able to do this was in stages. Starting with his feet, she gradually got him into the carrier.

"I wish you could pull this for me. It would make things a whole lot easier," Sam said to her dog. Kita cocked her head at her from her position sitting beside the travois. Sam knew she couldn't understand her but it helped to talk.

Sam picked up her back pack and threw it over her shoulders. She used the stomach strap to make sure it was going to stay in place. Steeling herself, she stepped into the top of the triangle she'd made and pulled the branches up. It was all she could do to move the man a few yards. With a sigh, she pulled again and kept pulling as long as she possibly could.

Frantically, Johnny searched the immediate area. Roy was bleeding. He wasn't sure what had happened. It didn't make any sense. After several fruitless minutes of tramping through the undergrowth, Johnny had to admit defeat. The sun was nearly gone. It was all ready getting hard to see.

His heart in his throat, Johnny made his way back to camp. Mechanically, he started the fire and sat staring at it for several minutes as he ran through the possibilities in his mind. He could try to make it back to the Jeep and head for the nearest Ranger Station. From there he could radio for help. But that would take time. He wasn't sure Roy had time.

Searching in the dark wouldn't help. He didn't really have a lantern and walking around with a torch was a fire looking to happen. Cursing under his breath, Johnny set about making himself a cold supper. As frustrated as he was, he had to make sure he took care of himself.

In a few moments he had the meal wolfed down. Standing up, he began to pace. Roy was out there somewhere, he had to find him. The decision made, he pulled a backpack out of his tent and quickly packed it. Desperately he hoped he could remember the way back to the Jeep in the dark. Putting his back to the river, he set out.


	3. Chapter 3

The first thing Roy became aware of was pain. It sliced through his side, taking his breath away. Not quite aware of what he was doing, the senior paramedic tried to move his right arm. More pain nearly overwhelmed him. He struggled to open his eyes but he passed out before he could. A small gasp escaped his lips as he sent completely under.

"What was that?" Samantha asked Kita. The dog was pacing beside her as she continued to pull Roy toward her home. It was getting dark. They were higher up the edge of the valley so the sun lasted longer. The man had been silent during the entire trip. Until now. Fear spiked through her as she carefully laid the travois on the ground. Turning, she knelt down beside the man's head. He still seemed to be unconscious.

While she was stopped anyway, Samantha checked the man's wounds to see if he was still bleeding. If he was, he was going to bleed out before she got him home. Lifting up his shirt, she examined the bloody bandages. The blood on they appeared to be older. Not wanting to take the chance, Samantha sacrificed another piece of her shirt to replace them. That done she pulled her canteen off her belt and tried to get the man to drink.

"What should I call you?" she asked the man. Samantha figured he wasn't really paying attention but she needed to hear herself speak since Kita wasn't going to any time soon. "Kita's taken so that won't do. Bob is my dad's name so that would just get confusing. You look like a Kevin to me. Kevin it is until I find out differently."

Samantha caught hold of the apex of the travois and started out again. If she made it back home she was going to have to take a bath in the stream. She was sweating like a pig in the unseasonal heat. If she thought her father would be home, she'd send Kita ahead to let him know that something was up. But dad hadn't been home for three days. She wasn't sure he'd be there yet.

Sighing, she trudged on. She tried to cover as much ground as she could between rest periods but the longer she went the faster the rest periods came. Oh, well, she figured they'd get there eventually. Luckily, she knew this area like the back of her hand, even in the dark.

Half an hour out of camp, Johnny started to wonder if he'd bothered to put the fire out in his haste to leave. Of course he did. Johnny was distracted and frantic but he was a fireman first. Now that he thought about it, he remembered pouring the bucket of water over it. Relieved, he tried to not worry about whether he was getting himself lost.

It was dark. All the trees were starting to look the same in the flashlight beam. It took everything he had to not panic and go crashing blindly through the dense underbrush. It had been a while but he was perfectly capable to navigating by the stars. In his hear and frustration, Johnny had taken the time to orientate himself before heading out. The only problem now was that the tree tops obscured the stars.

Taking a deep breath, he continued on. The flashlight beam panned back and forth through the dark trees. Johnny wished there was a path that he could follow but that would have ruined the whole getting away from everyone feel they'd been going for.

Did that big rock look even vaguely familiar? Johnny wondered as he passed it. He supposed he should have remembered it but they'd been having such a good time during their hike that he hadn't been paying that much attention. Roy had been the one in charge of deciding where they went, he was the fly fishing expert.

Two hundred yards later, Johnny stumbled onto his Jeep. Relief flowed through him as he dug in his pocket for the keys. For a brief moment, the younger paramedic had the terrible fear that in his panic he'd forgotten to bring the all important items. Then his groping fingers closed on the familiar metal ring. "Thank God," he breathed as he unlocked the door and climbed inside.

Gunning the engine, Johnny backed onto the logging trail they'd followed up the mountain side and headed down hill. As much as he wanted to get to civilization ASAP, he was also very aware of the fact that if he got into an accident there would be no one to help Roy.

As carefully as he could, Johnny made his way down the mountain.

Long into the night Samantha and Kita trudged. Samantha was grateful that her charge stayed unconscious during the trek. If he hadn't been so badly injured, she might have just left him there to recover or not on his own. Her father had taught her many things during their time on the mountain. Self reliance was the first and more important of these things. If not for that, she would have been in dire straits waiting for her father to come home.

Home wasn't much but it met all their needs. Samantha was very happy to see the door as they rounded the corner. Even in the dark she knew exactly where the door handle was and pulled it open. Silently, the door swung open and Samantha and Kita stepped inside, still dragging the travois.

As gently as she could, Samantha laid the man on the sand floor before retracing her steps to the door. Outside, she took care to erase all signs of their passage for nearly a quarter of a mile. Coming back to the door, she looked at it closely to assure herself that nothing was amiss.

The door had been expertly constructed to look like a screen of underbrush and other vegetation. Only someone who knew that the door was there would see it unless they took several minutes searching. The door led beyond to a cavern. Stepping inside, Samantha took the time to stoke the fire that burned in a crevice of the right wall before turning her attention to her charge.

Steeling herself, she extracted him from the travois and dragged him over by the fire so she could see what she was doing. Being sixteen, Samantha hadn't thought too much about the opposite sex. The only other person here was her father. Other than him, she had no contact with the outside world.

She wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing as she stripped the man down to his boxer shorts. Samantha told herself it was to make sure that he didn't have any other injuries and she was partly right. The blond man was about twice her age. He had blond hair and when she checked his eyes they were blue. Kevin looked like he was strongly built but not in a bulky kind of way. He looked like her dad when he was getting changed.

Samantha untied the shirt pieces to get a better look at the wounds. She was going to have to splint his arm. Even with her inexperience eye she could see that the bones between his wrist and his elbow were broken. She was grateful that they hadn't punctured the skin. Kevin was going to have enough problems battling infection with the bullet holes.

Prepared for anything, Samantha went to a small pile of straight branches to one side of the cave. When they weren't being used as splints, Samantha and her father used the supple, green branches to weave furniture or bowls. The only two pieces of furniture in the caver were two chairs that they had made themselves. She found three of them that were approximately the right length. Collecting these and vines, that they'd woven into stronger strings, Samantha went back over to where the man lay.

"I almost wish you were awake. It might make this easier," Samantha said quietly to the unconscious man. Feeling along his arm, she found where the bones were broken. They hadn't slid over each other but were more twisted. Gritting her teeth, Samantha forced the arm back the way it was supposed to be and then put the branches in place and secured them with the vines.

Standing up, Samantha moved over to the far wall of the cave. Sitting on a large, flat rock was a metal basin. The basin was situated such that it collected a trickle of water that made its way down the wall. She replaced the basin with one sitting on the ground beside the rock and carried it over to her patient.

Kita had plunked herself down beside the door. The husky had been well trained and knew to watch the door whenever her master was alone in the cave. Resting her head on her front paws, Kita kept one eye on her master and her nose toward the door. A breeze blew right by her nose, enabling her to be aware of anything coming.

Dipping a clean rag into the water, Samantha set about cleaning the wound on Kevin's stomach. She tried to make sure that she didn't start it bleeding again. That was the last thing the man needed. On the other hand, she had to make sure that the wounds were clean. Out in the wilderness one learned very early on the importance of cleanliness when dealing with cuts.

The fire light wasn't quite strong enough to ensure that she could see right into the wound but Samantha did the best she could. Satisfied, she placed a second clean rag on it and held it in place while she rolled him onto his stomach. The wound on his back took less time to clean and cover.

Now she just had to secure the bandages. Making sure she had everything she needed beside her, Samantha knelt down at Kevin's head and slid her hands under his shoulders. Carefully, she propped him up until his head rested on her shoulder and then wrapped the lengths of fabric around him as rapidly as she could. Lying him back down, she set about making him a bed near the fire. The man was going to need all the heat he could get, especially at night when the temperature dropped.

Silently, she moved over to one of three smaller caves. Samantha came back clutching three skins in her arms. She laid the thickest and largest one on the ground. It only took a few moments to roll Kevin onto the skin, and then she began to wash him down with the remaining water in the basin.

During the impromptu bath, she found several bruises that were beginning to make an appearance. Wherever he'd gone into the river, he'd travelled far enough that he took a real pounding along the way. He was probably lucky to still be unconscious. Otherwise he'd be in a fair amount of pain.

Finished, Samantha covered him up with the other two furs. Sitting beside the fire was a metal kettle. She checked to make sure there was still water in it before setting it among the coals. Also close to the fire was a series of woven baskets. From one of these she extracted three pieces of bark. When the kettle boiled, she placed the bark pieces in the steaming water and waited.

It seemed as if time had slowed down. But that could just be because Samantha was impatient as she waited for the tea to steep. Then she had to wait for it to cool. Another eternity later she poured some of the liquid into a metal cup and used a spoon to trickle it into Kevin's mouth.

It was tricky work. If she gave him too much there was the distinct possibility that he would inhale it rather than drink it. Not wanting to add aspiration to his list of complaints, Samantha only gave him a quarter of the cup before leaving him to rest by the fire. She'd done all she could do, now she had to take care of herself and Kita.


	4. Chapter 4

Captain Michael Robertson had been gone before. From what Samantha gathered while listening to his stories, her father wasn't always the way he was now. Samantha assumed that not all people woke in the middle of the night screaming because of dreams. She assumed that because she herself didn't. By nature, Samantha was pretty easy going. Her father was the exact opposite. The smallest noise or change of routine would send him into a state. It was one such change in routine that had sent Captain Robertson scouring the mountain side.

While not strange in itself, Samantha was still worried. Her father hadn't been gone this long before. Maybe something had happened to him. Samantha doubted it though. Her dad was a Green Beret. He knew how to take care of himself in the woods. Likely, he was still following the prints he'd found near their cave.

Humming to herself while she cooked over the fire, Samantha glanced at the sleeping man. She was only used to seeing her father as he slept. It seemed strange that this man that she knew nothing about was so dependent on her. Of all the things her father had taught her, being suspicious of everyone was the primary rule. But she found that she couldn't be suspicious of him. Him being unconscious probably had a lot to do with it. Shaking her head, she turned her attention back to the food.

With a huge sigh of relief, Johnny pulled into the darkened ranger station. Then he remembered it was three in the morning. There was no one here. "Damn," he swore under his breath. Then he saw the pay phone sitting under a light by the power pole.

Relieved beyond words, he sprinted to the phone, digging in his pants pocket for change. Once he reached it and had his two nickels in his hand, Johnny paused. Who should he call first? Joanne needed to know but she wouldn't be a lot of help. Deciding, he picked up the receiver, dropped the nickel into the slot and began to dial the number he wanted.

"Captain Stanley? This is Johnny. I have a really big problem," he said into the receiver the moment he heard Hank Stanley's voice. At the simple admission, Johnny's knees got a little weak. It took nearly everything he had to stay upright.

"What kind of problem, Johnny? What time is it?" Hank demanded his voice husky with sleep.

"Ah, it's three in the morning, Cap. Roy and I were camping up in the mountains. We spent the afternoon fishing on different parts of the river now I can't find him. There's blood on the rocks where he was fishing. I have a really bad feeling about this," Johnny said, the words spilling out like a tide. His knees wouldn't hold him any longer so he gave in and sank to the ground, the phone held tightly to his ear.

"Where are you?" Hank was instantly awake. Johnny was a lot of things, not all of them good, but a liar wasn't one of them. Shushing his wife so he could get the directions, Hank climbed out of bed and began getting dressed. He had to pass the phone to his other ear so he could get the rest of his shirt on. "Okay, I'll be there with the guys and any Park Rangers I can wrangle up in three hours. Wait for me there."

"What about Joanne, Capt? Should I be calling her?" Johnny had another nickel and so could make the call. He just wasn't sure he wanted to be the one to make it.

"I'll take care of it, Johnny. Besides, I'm not sure it's worth letting her know until we know what's going on. No use worrying her until we know for sure that there's something to worry about," Captain Stanley stated. As an afterthought, he decided to let his wife in on the events on the mountain so she could be the one to break the news. It would be easier to take from another wife.

"If you say so, Cap. But I think she's going to be very angry if we leave her out of the loop for too long." Johnny didn't want to be there when she got angry. Joanne was a wonderful woman. He'd have married her himself if she hadn't all ready been married to his best friend. Her one bad trait was that she could have a really bad temper.

"We'll let her know once we find something conclusive," Hank assured his paramedic. He didn't want to worry Roy's wife any more than he had to. Besides, it would be better to let her know after the kids were in school so she didn't have to contend with them at the same time.

The pain was almost beyond bearing. Roy tried to force his eyes open but he didn't have the strength. He laid where he was listening to the fire crackle beside him. Almost he could convince himself that this was all a bad dream and he'd fallen asleep near the fire in the camp site. Almost.

The senior paramedic tried to take a deep breath but it caught half way up. His ribs burned like they were on fire. It was all he could do to keep from passing out again. The rest of him was cold as an ice cube. The analytical part of his mind knew that he was showing signs of shock. The not so analytical part was wondering how come he seemed to be mostly naked under his blankets. Speaking of the blankets, they certainly didn't feel like they were made out of material. Where the hell was he?

Roy tried to draw another breath so he could call out that very question. Again, his breath caught and more pain blossomed. Before he knew he had a choice, Roy passed out.

"Uh huh," Samantha hummed to herself. She'd noticed the change in the man's breathing and supposed she should have tried talking to him while he was awake. Somehow she just didn't feel the need. She liked him better when he was unconscious. He was much easier to have around. Once his breathing deepened again, she turned her attention back to her meal.

As always, she made enough for two people. The thought that her dad wasn't coming home was unacceptable. So she pushed it to the back of her mind and continued on as if he would walk through the barrier at any moment. If he didn't, maybe her charge would be well enough to eat when next he came to.

Kita remained by the door. She'd sensed two deer and a bear walk by outside the barrier. Under normal circumstances, she'd have gone chasing after all three of them. These were not normal circumstances, however, the real threat to her master was in the same room. She paused in her vigil by the doorway long enough to glance over at her master by the fire. Samantha was safe. That was all that really mattered. Calmly, Kita settled her head back on her paws and stared out at the world beyond.

The sun was starting to come up over the horizon. She'd gone the entire night without sleeping. Again. Since her dad went away her sleeping patterns had been somewhat erratic. It was easier to sleep when she was completely exhausted. Sometimes that took eighteen hours, others it took closer to twenty eight. Today appeared to be one of those days.

Oh, well, there wasn't much she needed to do today anyway. Thanks to her dad's obsessive need to be prepared, they had enough food to last for four weeks without going out the door. The small stream on the back wall made fresh water readily available. Eventually, though, she'll have to go out and collect more firewood. Especially since she was going to have to keep the man warm.

Glancing away from her supper, Samantha looked at the pile of wood. There was enough until late tomorrow. She'd worry about it later. Right now she was hungry. Kita would be starving by now as well.


	5. Chapter 5

True to his word, Captain Stanley had a whole crew in tow as he pulled up at the ranger station. Johnny counted at least half a dozen vehicles even though the crew of Station 51 had all come in Captain Stanley's car.

Almost before the car stopped moving the doors opened and the four men of engine 51 emerged. Hank in the lead, they made a b-line to where Johnny sat disconsolate in his jeep.

Bringing up the rear were several other people, some in forest ranger uniforms while others were in sheriff uniforms. Johnny was feeling decidedly underdressed.

"Thanks, Cap," Johnny said in relief as the older man caught up to him. Now that there were other people here, he was starting to feel the effects of his long journey from the camp site. Johnny was feeling very tired.

The senior sheriff deputy and forest ranger made their way to the jeep. "Are you the one that called in the missing fisherman?" the ranger asked. He was an older man, about Stanley's age. He had blond hair run through with generous grey. He stood nearly six feet tall but weighed maybe 175. His name plate said Lee Edwards. His tanned face was starting to show signs of deep lines around his eyes and the corners of his mouth. There was a lean, weathered look about him. Johnny didn't think he wanted to get on the man's bad side.

"Yeah, my partner Roy DeSoto's up on the river somewhere. There was blood on the rocks where he'd been fishing. He's been hurt," Johnny filled him in as concisely as he could. All ready exhaustion was giving way to impatience. He wanted to get back up the mountain and start looking for his friend.

"Can you come into the station and show me on a map where you were fishing?" Edwards asked. Not waiting for a response, he was all ready striding toward the now open ranger station door. The sheriff deputy and firemen all trooped toward the wooden structure. It was going to be a long day.

Within the hour, two members of the forest rangers, one deputy and the five firemen were loaded into a large helicopter swooping over the tree tops. The pilot knew the mountain like the back of his hand and knew where they were headed. The river wasn't wide enough for him to land anywhere near it so he was going to have to let them down by rope. It wasn't how he'd like to do it but they couldn't waste the time having them hike in.

"We'll find him, Johnny," Mike Stoker said from his position on the bench. Across from him he could see the fear and concern burning in the younger man's brown eyes. The engineer knew that if their positions were reversed and it was Marco Lopez out there he'd be worried sick too.

"I know," Johnny practically had to yell to be heard over the helicopter motor but the lack of conviction in his voice was still evident.

"There's another helicopter twenty minutes behind us bringing more men. We will find him," Captain Stanley added.

"Yeah, but will it be in time?" Johnny muttered to himself as he watched the forest speed by below them. Despite the speed they were travelling at, it felt like they were barely moving to the impatient paramedic.

"What was that?" Captain Stanley asked. He'd seen Johnny's lips move but hadn't heard the words.

"We'll find him," Johnny parroted. In his heart of hearts he wasn't so sure. Why had they chosen such a secluded area? Why couldn't they have just gone fishing where all the tourists went? Silently, Johnny tried to think of answers that didn't sound like cop outs. He wasn't very successful.

Lowering eight people by rope took longer than Johnny would have liked. The force of the blades sent Johnny and Roy's tents flapping. Johnny was glad he'd put the fire out. The wind would have sent any live embers flying. That would have increased their problems. Not something they really needed at the moment.

"Show me where DeSoto was fishing," the senior Ranger said as they all gathered along the side of the river. Above them the helicopter continued to hover for a few more moments then it headed down the river, the pilot and co-pilot scanning the river and its banks as they went. It wasn't likely, but they were hoping they'd maybe find the man washed up in an eddy farther down river.

"I was here," Johnny said, indicating the spot he'd been fishing from. Without waiting to make sure anyone was following him, Johnny set out. He knew they had to start somewhere but didn't any of them realize he'd all ready checked where Roy had been fishing? If his partner had been there Johnny wouldn't have had to call for reinforcements.

Each man had a large back pack strapped to their backs. Inside were rations in case they didn't find Roy immediately, as well as other items they might find they needed. Johnny and the senior Ranger also had first aid kits stashed inside their packs. The senior Ranger and Captain Stanley also had handy talkies clipped to their belts. All of the rescue groups would have them. The mountain ridges might make communication a little iffy but they'd do their best.

After what felt like an eternity, Johnny stood over the spot where he'd first found the blood. The Ranger took a pair of binoculars out of his pack and scanned the other side of the river bank. He had to admit, it did look like the fireman was in trouble.

"Adam, you take the deputy and two of the firemen. Search this side of the river. The rest of us will cross over and search the other side. Make sure you don't lose sight of the other team. The vegetation gets pretty thick in areas, it's easy to get lost," the senior Ranger instructed his partner. He knew the firemen were trained professionals but they didn't know the area with any degree of accuracy. The last thing they needed was to be searching for another lost party.

It dawned on Johnny that he didn't know the other men's names. Not that it really mattered but it would make it easier that Ranger #1 and Ranger #2. Trying to not be obvious, he glanced at the men's name plates. The senior Ranger's plate said Ranger Thomas Byrne. He was probably four or five years older than Johnny. He was about Johnny's height but had more than twenty five pounds on the slight paramedic. From the looks of the blond man though, none of the extra weight was fat. If he had time to think about it, Johnny would have been a little jealous of the size of the man's chest, shoulders and arms. He was obviously very strong.

The younger Ranger was also blond but more Johnny's age. He too was a strongly built man but his face made him look a little less intimidating. 'Baby-faced' was the best description Johnny could come up with. His name plate read Jaime Kennedy. Having received his orders, Kennedy indicated the deputy, Marco, and Mike before heading out.

"Okay, the rest of you are with me. Getting across the river isn't going to be a lot of fun, its cold and running fast. I'm going to tie us together with this rope. Just try to make sure you don't lose your footing, otherwise we may find your friend the hard way," Byrne said. Behind him, Kennedy was sorting out his three assistants as they began a grid search of the area before continuing downstream.

Within a few minutes the four men were carefully fording the stream. Byrne had been right. The water was damned cold. Johnny was wishing he was still wearing his fishing gear as the water moved up to his waist. The undercurrent pulled at his legs, trying to send him careening down the river. If Roy had been injured there wasn't much of a chance he'd be able to pull himself out of the undertow. As it was, Johnny was perfectly healthy but had troubles as did the rest of them.

"Why didn't the helicopter drop us off on the other side of the river?" Chet grumbled as he struggled to keep upright. He was an inch or two shorter than Johnny and Captain Stanley and so was getting even wetter than they were. Luckily the weather was holding so he shouldn't stay cold and wet for long.

"The trees are too close to the river's edge. We were lucky he was able to drop us in the clearing by the campsite," Byrne replied. He knew they were almost there because the water level was rising with each step he took. The river bottom was mostly silt with the occasional rock to turn an unwary ankle. He was glad he was with professionals, this wasn't going to be easy but at least they knew how to carry themselves.

"What are the chances of us finding Roy alive?" Stanley asked in a low voice. Johnny was at the back of the line while Hank was just behind the Ranger. He'd wanted to ask the question for a while but didn't want the junior paramedic overhearing.

"That depends on if he's actually injured, how severe the injury is and if he's managed to pull himself out of the water. If he hasn't at least done that then he'll succumb to exposure in the next hour or two," Byrne replied in an equally low voice. He didn't believe in sugar coating the truth. The man had asked him a question so he deserved a truthful answer.

"That's what I was afraid of," Hank breathed. The knot of emotion that had taken up residence in his stomach since Johnny's call drew a little tighter. The possibility of Roy DeSoto being dead was beyond his comprehension. It was also beyond anything he was willing to consider.

"He has the fact that he's been trained in survival. The paramedic knows to get out of the water and he knows how to tend his wounds even on a rudimentary level. I'm still holding out hope that we'll find him in good shape," Byrne added. That was the truth as well.

"Thanks," Hank said. Finally they'd reached the other side. The river bank was steep and covered with loose dirt and rocks. It took nearly all he had to get to the top of it. Once at the top, Hank turned and helped Chet and then Johnny climb to where Byrne stood taking in their surroundings.

"Where to?" Johnny asked even before he caught his breath. He tried to ignore the numbing cold of his legs. His pants would dry eventually. All that mattered at the moment was finding Roy.

"We'll follow along the river bank. It's too steep for someone who's injured to climb it. Just in case though, I'd like you and the other fireman to spread out and follow us through the woods," Byrnes said. He'd all ready scanned the river bank up stream. He knew the missing man wasn't there. Without waiting for them to agree he set off. The sooner they got this done the better.


	6. Chapter 6

Byrnes' radio crackled. "Thomas, you there?" Byrnes pulled the radio out of his jacket pocket and keyed it.

"What is it, Jaime?" he said in response.

"Fireman Lopez has found a spent shell from a rifle. It looks like the victim has in fact been shot," Jaime replied, his voice slightly staticy.

"Any other sign over there?" Thomas asked. Finding the shell didn't necessarily mean that the fireman had been shot. It was hunting season after all. It did make the search a little more urgent however.

"No, there's no sign at all that he came this way. There is a pair of foot prints leading away from the shell. It looks like hunters," Jaime informed him.

"Okay. Keep looking along the river bank. Let me know if you find anything else," Byrne said. Satisfied his subordinate didn't have anything else to say, he disconnected and put the radio back in his pocket. "Let's go."

His stomach somewhere around his knees, Johnny nodded and renewed the search. The junior paramedic wasn't quite sure why but he knew they were looking in the wrong place. Unfortunately, his sixth sense wasn't bothering to tell him where the right place was. Sighing deeply, Johnny concentrated on completing his grid of the search area as quickly and thoroughly as he could.

*****

"Joanne?" The voice was quiet, strained and pain filled. It was nearly enough to send Samantha scampering out of the cave. Holding her breath, she sat stock still along the back wall and watched to see if the man under her care was just mumbling or actually coming around. Desperately she hoped he was talking in his sleep. She wasn't sure she wanted to deal with him when he was awake.

By the door to the cave, Kita lifted her head and whined at the man. She could sense his pain and confusion and wanted to help. If only she wasn't on guard duty.

In the dim light of the cave, Samantha saw the man move slightly. Or at least he tried to move but he was brought up short by his injuries. A small groan escaped from him as he settled back onto the pelts. Another groan issued from him. Unsure of what to do, Samantha bit her lower lip and considered the alternatives. None of them seemed all that appealing at the moment.

The man's head moved very carefully until it was pointed in her direction. "Hello?" he said softly. It took nearly all Roy's strength to keep from passing out. In the dim light he could just make out a dark lump along the back wall of wherever he was. Desperately he hoped whatever it was it was human. He also hoped it wasn't one of the people who shot him.

Samantha remained where she was. She still wasn't sure she wanted to deal with the man. She had no idea if he was a good man like her father or a bad man like the ones that gave her father nightmares. The single word did little to help her decide. Distantly she wondered who Joanne was.

"Hello?" Roy repeated. Whoever or whatever it was had gone completely still. A soft whine nearly made him jump out of his skin. It was then he noticed the furry lump by the door. "Where am I?"

Just as Samantha was thinking about answering, the man sucked his breath in between clenched teeth and turned his head away from her. In pain and not quite thinking straight, Roy tried to roll away from the burning in his side. All he managed to do was aggravate it. Darkness descended.

Much better, Samantha thought to herself. She moved away from the man and escaped outside for a few breaths of fresh air. "Come on, Dad, where are you?"

*****

"Do we need to worry about transients?" Hank asked as they continued their search. He wasn't sure there were any in these mountains but with California's moderate temperatures anything was possible.

"There have been reports of people living in caves and such but I personally haven't located any of the hovels. I've been here three years and there are still parts of this range that I haven't been. If someone wanted to hide there are plenty of places to do it," Byrnes replied. "My boss has told me stories of Vietnam vets setting up camps in these mountains. I've yet to see it though."

"Somehow that doesn't seem all that reassuring," Johnny grumbled from where he was searching. The longer this was taking the more he wanted to steal a canoe and go down the river alone. He knew the whole process was necessary but it was driving him crazy. They seemed to be wasting so much time when it was obvious Roy wasn't here.

"I guess it's not. It's the best I can do," Byrnes assured them. He knew what the paramedic must be feeling. If Jaime were out in this wilderness somewhere possibly hurt, he'd be going out of his mind.

"Let's just keep searching," Johnny said. All that really mattered was the few feet in front of him. Beyond that the rest of the concerns had to take a back seat until something changed.

*****

Sunset was an hour away. Johnny felt like they hadn't covered nearly enough distance in their search when Byrnes made the announcement that it was time to set up camp for the night.

"We've still got a solid hour of sunlight left. Why are we stopping now?" Johnny couldn't hide his frustration any longer.

"We're not stopping yet. I don't plan on setting camp up in this bush," Byrnes assured him. "But we need to keep an eye out for an open spot as close to the river as possible. Jaime and the others will be doing the same thing."

"I know how you feel, Johnny," Hank said from his position furthest from the river's edge. "I want to keep looking too but we won't help anyone if we get lost too."

"We wouldn't get lost if we had a more experienced guide with us," Johnny grumbled as he plodded forward. It wasn't a very charitable thing to say but he'd run out of charity the moment he'd realized his partner was missing.

"Trust me, Mr. Gage. If there were any rangers with more experience they would be out here," Byrnes said. After that he tried to ignore the grumbling he heard from the lanky, dark haired man.

Within half an hour they came upon a small clearing. Byrnes had his tent up in moments and we out collecting firewood before the two firemen could get their own small tents up. Johnny had to admit that he was grateful to the Forestry Service for supplying the small pup tents. The last thing he felt like doing at the moment was sleeping under the stars.

"When was the last time you got any sleep?" Hank asked. He'd watched the younger man struggle with his tent for a few minutes before giving in and offering a hand. The usually attentive paramedic was having trouble sorting through the easiest of jobs.

"Um," Johnny replied as he struggled with a tent peg. It suddenly seemed very hard to concentrate on any one thing. "Two nights ago."

"That's what I thought. You stay here. Byrnes and I'll get the firewood. We'll be back in a few minutes," Hank ordered. In the shape his youngest paramedic was in at the moment, he couldn't be sure that he wouldn't get lost in the dense brush surrounding them. Rather than take the chance, he wanted Johnny to get a little rest. He could certainly use it.

"Right, cap," Johnny replied. On top of the cloud that had settled into his thoughts, Johnny didn't think he had the energy to do any more than what he was currently doing. The log he'd sat on suddenly felt like the most comfortable seat he could ever remember using.

Satisfied that the younger man wasn't going anywhere, Hank sent out in search of wood. He passed the Ranger on his way back to camp with a load of dry branches in his arms. Hank simply nodded to the man as he bent down to pick up an old log.

By the time Byrnes reached the camp Johnny was curled up beside the log, sound asleep. Grinning, the Ranger set about making a fire pit and getting a fire going. The last thing they needed was for the exhausted man to come down with a cold from getting chilled.

*****

The day passed slowly for Samantha and Kita. The dog whined a few times to be allowed outside. The second time, Samantha let her rather than having to clean up a mess in the cave. She knew that the dog would return as soon as she'd finished her business.

Distracted, not entirely sure what she should be doing, Samantha set about making supper. Worry kept her from concentrating properly on what she was doing but luckily there really wasn't much to making a salad and pulling out strips of jerky from their supply. Normally she would make fancier suppers but she hadn't had the chance to go out and pick berries and such. Distantly she wondered where her father was. It wasn't like him to be kept away from home this long.

Shaking off the dark thoughts that followed, Samantha moved over to her charge. The man had been quiet the rest of the day, for which she was thankful, but she needed to check his bandages and see if he needed to be cleaned up.

In the flickering light of the fire, Samantha gently removed the bandages and examined the torn flesh. She was grateful for the low light because the damage might have otherwise turned her stomach. As carefully as she could manage, Samantha examined the wounds for signs of infection.

Just as she palpated the worst wound, Kevin came awake with a start and grabbed her hand. Startled, Samantha pulled away from him and scuttled back into the darkness. Kevin was gasping against the pain she'd inadvertently caused him. When the pain finally receded to a manageable level, Kevin turned carefully toward her.

"Who are you?" he asked, his voice still strained and barely above a whisper.

"Go back to sleep," Samantha replied from her position along the back wall of the cave. She liked him much better when he was unconscious.

"Where am I?" the man persisted. He tried to sit up but was stopped short by a crushing pain in his side. Gasping, he crumpled back onto the fur pelts.

Taking pity on the man, Samantha filled up a metal cup with water and moved over to his side. "Here, drink this," she said as she held the cup up to his lips. Carefully she braced his head so he could take a few mouthfuls.

"Thank you," the man said his voice all ready sounding stronger. "Who are you? Where's Johnny?"

"My name's Samantha. As to where Johnny is, I don't know. I'm not even sure who Johnny is," Samantha replied. She helped him take a few more mouthfuls before she set the cup down beside him.

"Johnny's my partner, we were fishing together," the man said as he gazed around the cave. "Where am I?"

"I found you beside the river. Someone's shot you with a rifle. You need to rest as much as you can," Samantha hedged. She didn't want to tell the man that this was where she lived with her father. When dad came home, he was going to be furious as it was.

"I was wondering what hurt so badly," the man said quietly. "My name's Roy DeSoto. Could you let my wife know that I'm all right?"

"Sure, I can do that," Samantha lied. She was ready to tell him anything whether it was the truth or not to get the man to go back to sleep. His wound had started bleeding again. She needed to tend to him quickly but it would go easier if he wasn't awake to feel it.

"Thank you," Roy said. He thought there was probably something that he should be telling the woman so she could contact Joanne but he was quickly being overtaken by a thick cloud of lethargy. Probably the results of blood lose the paramedic in him decided. Then nothing mattered as darkness descended yet again.

Kita came back into the cave, a happy grin on her snout. Seeing that her human was busy with the bleeding one, she moved over and nuzzled her nearest arm.

"Hi, Kita," Samantha acknowledged. She knew the dog wasn't going to leave her alone until she let her know she knew she was here. Happy, Kita moved over to the door again and took up her position.

Somehow the name Roy seemed wrong to Samantha but what did she know? Now that her charge was unconscious, it was a much easier process to clean and dress his wounds. Satisfied that he wasn't going to bleed to death or develop infection in the next few hours, Samantha carefully covered him up with the pelts and set about finishing her supper.

The salad and jerky didn't look like much but she tossed a couple of pieces of dried meat to Kita on her way by. Then she settled on the ground by the fire. Eating quietly, she sat and watched Roy's peaceful face in the flickering fire light.

The last thought she had as her own body shut down for some much needed rest was _Where are you, Daddy?_


	7. Chapter 7

The next time Roy woke up the first thing he became aware of was the pain radiating from his wounds. His side and back felt as though they were on fire while his right arm simply ached. Gasping as the pain responded to the slight movements he made, Roy was forced to keep his eyes closed as he waited for the waves of agony to pass.

Through the haze of his thoughts, he was dimly aware that he wasn't at home or in the station and that he wasn't alone. Where was Johnny? Weren't they supposed to be fishing? Why did he hurt so badly? In his pain wracked mind no answers came. The last thing he could properly remember was fishing on the river, everything since then was a blank.

"Johnny?" he tried to call out through clenched teeth. The pain wasn't letting up like it should have. If anything, it almost felt like it was getting worse. Where ever he was, it was hot. He could feel sweat breaking out over his body under the heavy, itchy blankets. His voice had been barely above a whisper. Fear warred with the pain in his mind as the senior paramedic wondered how he was going to survive this, whatever this was.

"It's okay, Roy, you just need to sleep," a vaguely familiar female voice floated toward him in the darkness. Momentarily forcing the discomfort aside, Roy pried his eyes opened and scanned the room he was in with as little movement as possible. The room was dark with nothing but a low burning fire to his left shedding any light.

"Who are you?" Roy managed to say into the dark. Either his eyes weren't working very well or it was just too dark to see the person who'd spoke.

"I told you before. I'm Samantha," the voice stated. Roy was sure through the screaming of his nerve endings that the woman sounded exasperated and fearful at the same time. "Don't you remember?"

"Where's Johnny," Roy asked. His voice was weak because he was dehydrated. Carefully he tried to run his left hand over his right side to see why he hurt so badly. Breath hissed between his teeth as his fingers ran over the bandages. What the hell had happened?

"I don't know who Johnny is other than he's your partner. You were the only one on the side of the river when I found you," the woman said. A sound as the person moved closer. "How are you feeling?"

"You found me on the river?" Roy said more to himself than to his companion. "I remember fishing then I woke up here."

"Are you thirsty?" the voice asked. At the mention of water Roy was suddenly reminded of just how thirsty he was.

"Yes," he said. His fingers continued to explore the bandages. Pain was immaterial as he slipped the fingers beneath the bandage. He needed to know. He needed to know just how badly he was injured. Pain flashed anew as he found the jagged edge of the wound. Despite his best efforts he groaned as he ran his fingers along the edge. He'd been shot, this was the exit wound. Realization made him feel even hotter. Absently, he slipped his hand out and pushed the furs off his torso. Why was it so hot?

A woman's face appeared above him. Startled, Roy stared up at her as she brought a tin cup to his lips. She slipped a hand under his head to help him as he took several large mouthfuls. The water had an odd taste to it, almost metallic in nature. Was he in a cave?

"Your skin feels hot. How are you feeling?" the woman asked. Now that she was closer, even in the dim light he could tell that his caregiver was young. None of this was making sense.

"I'm hot," was all Roy could think to say. Realization was slowly dawning. His wound was infected. Damn.

In an instant the furs were being pulled off of him. The cool air felt good until he noticed that he wasn't wearing anything but his boxers. Joanne would not be impressed. The girl cut his bandages away and pulled a brand out of the fire so she could have a closer look. The heat made him even more uncomfortable.

"Hold still," she growled. A finger probed the wound, sending waves of gut wrenching pain through him. Unconsciously, he tried to pull her hand away as he started to hyperventilate. "I have to do this."

With the increased respiration, Roy's body temperature began to rise even farther. "Stop," he pleaded in a whisper. Suddenly making sure that the wound was clean didn't really seem to matter.

The girl cursed quietly under her breath. She moved away, the brand still in her hand, she searched through her supplies. A few moments later she was back with a metal basin, more bandages and some herbs from by the fire.

"This may hurt," she said. Without any further preamble, she began cleaning the larger of the two wounds again, hard.

Within moments the pain was more than the paramedic could take and he lost consciousness.

"That's better," Samantha whispered under her breath. This was getting out of hand. She knew basic first aid but not enough to tend to a man with a raging infection. If she wasn't careful the infection would move to his blood and kill him for sure. Not worrying about the loss of blood anymore, she dug as far as she dared into the wound.

Just as she was ready to give in to complete despair, the door to the cave opened and in walked her father. Stunned, unsure if she was just seeing what she wanted to or if it was really him, Samantha sat completely still and stared.

"Hey, Sammy, what do you have here?" Captain Michael Robertson asked as he crossed the cave toward the figure by his daughter. Immediately he was concerned that it might be an enemy. There were armed men wandering the forest at this time of year. This might be one of them.

"I found him on the side of the east river. He's been shot and now he's developed an infection. I didn't know what to do but I couldn't just leave him there. He would have died of exposure," Samantha filled him in quickly as her father joined her beside the man.

As usual when wandering outside, the captain was dressed in a strange suit of green that had branches and leaves intertwined through it. He didn't want to be seen and so took great pains to blend in with the forest around him. Shrugging off the suit, Michael pulled a flashlight out of one of the pockets of his army issue jacket. Flicking it on, he moved closer to do a proper examination.

In Nam he'd been a medic. He'd seen things there and done things that still gave him severe nightmares. He'd tried to return to civilization but found that being trapped within four walls made the nightmares worse. There were times he was having the nightmares during the day. That was when he took his daughter and moved out to the mountains. A man can breathe here. Except for hunting season they could go for weeks without seeing another human being. Just the way he liked it.

Gritting his teeth, he examined the wound. It was in the lower right quadrant of his abdomen. An inch further to the left and it would have taken out his kidney from the back. Luckily, from what he could see no major organs were involved. The wound was infected though. That was going to have to be dealt with before the man became septic.

Michael pulled a large knife out of his left boot and held it out to his daughter. "You did good Sam. Put this in the fire. We need to burn the infection out," he instructed. A quick glance and he assessed the situation.

"Now, we're going to need more water. Go to the stream up along the ridge line and fill up both of the canteens. We're also going to need as much wood as you can find. Did you bring him here in a travois?" Michael asked.

"Yes, dad. The branches are in my room. They're still pretty green but they should burn," Samantha replied. Quickly, she put the knife among the embers and then headed to her cave. In it she found the canteens and the branches. The canteens slung over her should, she pulled the branches out and laid them near her father.

"If you're not back in twenty minutes, I'll come looking for you. There are a lot of people around. Be careful," Michael instructed as he glanced at the girl. She tough and smart, he'd trained her well and knew he didn't really have to worry about her. But she was still his only child and he couldn't help himself.

Kita slipped out with her master as Samantha made her way to the stream. The water in the cave was usually enough for their daily needs but when necessary there were alternatives. As she moved through the foliage, she was very aware of her surroundings. The last thing she needed was to be injured as well.

"I guess I should have asked your name," Michael muttered to himself as he spent time cleaning the seeping blood away from the torn flesh. This wasn't going to be nice. If the man had any sense at all he would stay unconscious for a few hours yet. Hopefully, luck was still on his side.

Michael moved over to the fire to check on the knife. It was hot but not hot enough. Moving it back underneath the coals, he settled back to wait. Being in Nam had taught him many things. Patience was something he now had in abundance. Quickly, he whistled under his breath as he counted down the seconds until he had to go looking for Samantha.


	8. Chapter 8

The trail to the stream was well known to Samantha. Despite the many times they'd used it however, there was no signs of their passage. She was grateful for that as she was making her way back to the cave. Up ahead, in the middle of a very small clearing, stood two men. They were both dressed in hunting gear and had rifles in their hands.

As soon as she saw them, Samantha hid behind some of the dense foliage and waited for them to leave. She put the pile of wood she'd found carefully beside her. She was not willing to chance them following her back to the cave. She wasn't willing to take the chance of their home being discovered, even if it meant Roy's death.

From her spot within the shrubs she could just make the men out and hear what they were saying. The taller of the two men was tired of hunting and wanted to head home. The other man was frustrated that they hadn't shot anything yet and wanted to stay. Finally, amid much grumbling, the first man gave in and followed his companion out of the clearing away from where she was still hiding.

"It's about time," she grumbled under her breath. Convinced that the men were gone, she slipped out of the shrubs, gathered up her wood and quickly made her way home.

Kita stayed right by her side. The dog was none too happy about seeing other humans but she knew better than to draw their attention. She'd hidden with her master. Now that she was moving again, Kita did a little scouting before returning to her. The husky wanted to make sure that the other humans really were gone.

"Where'd you go?" Samantha asked as they both slipped in the door. Kita cocked her head at the question and then resumed her position by the now closed door. "There are people out there."

"It's hunting season. The forest is crawling with weekend killers. We need to be prepared to stay inside for a while," Michael responded. Accepting the canteens as Samantha made her way toward the fire. She placed two of the larger pieces in and then got out of the way. This was now up to her father. There wasn't much else she could do.

"He's still unconscious and that's a good thing," Michael said as he pulled the knife out of the fire to check it again. "This is going to be very painful. If he wakes up or starts to move in response to what I'm doing I need you to hold him down."

"Yes, sir," Samantha responded. She moved a little closer, just in case she was needed but not so close that she was in the way. Without a word from her father, Samantha took the flashlight and aimed it into the wound. He was going to need to see what he was cutting.

Michael paused long enough to wipe his sleeve across his forehead. Last thing he needed was for sweat to drop into the open wound. Gritting his teeth, he cautiously began to cut away the dead tissue along the outer edges. Under his fingers he could feel the man's muscle spasms in reaction to the heat and the edge of the blade.

At first Roy didn't respond. Then, as Michael continued and worked deeper into the exit wound, a low moan slipped between his lips. Roy was still very much unconscious but his body was responding to the terrible pain the knife was inflicting on him. Several more groans followed as the medic continued. Each time Samantha felt as though a piece of her soul was being ripped out. If it wasn't necessary, she would have begged her father to leave the man alone.

"Well," Michael said finally. "It's as clean as I can get it without a surgical suite. I need you to help hold him down. Unconscious or not, he's going to react to me cauterizing the wound."

"Okay," Samantha responded. Hesitantly, she moved over until she was sitting on the man's legs. It felt very strange but she knew it was necessary. She caught hold of his left arm but she had to leave the other one for her dad to deal with, she was still aiming the flashlight with her other hand. "Ready."

"I'm going to have to heat up the knife again. Are you hungry?" Michael felt badly for being gone for so long. He knew his daughter was perfectly capable of taking care of herself but he still tried to be there for her. He just wasn't willing to take the chance of any of the hunters seeing him or finding out where they lived. If he'd know ahead of time of the presence of the man he might have not been quite so cautious. Absently, he placed the knife back into the embers.

"I ate before," Samantha replied. She couldn't quite remember the last time she'd eaten but she wasn't feeling particularly hungry at the moment. The smell of burning human flesh did that to her every time.

"Good. Look, I'm sorry I was gone so long. There are a lot more people around than usual even with it being hunting season. Now I know they're probably out looking for this guy. Why is he so important to them?" Michael didn't like where his thoughts were taking him. The men he'd seen scouring the forest had been rangers and someone else. The other people were a close knit group, he could tell that from a distance. That either suggested to him that they were military or members of the police or other rescue services. While he waited for the knife to heat again, he glanced at Samantha.

She was the only thing in this world that kept him sane. This man's life didn't mean enough to him to take the chance that they'd be found and Samantha taken away from him. Michael knew the authorities would find him unfit. It didn't take a genius to figure that out. Maybe he should just drag the man out and leave him somewhere where they'd find him.

The only problem with that line of thought was that they were too far away from any road or clearing big enough to land a helicopter in. Michael had made sure of that when he'd chosen the cave as their home. Now that was going to work against them. Even if he put the man outside, it would take time for the searchers to find him. Michael looked down at the pale, sweaty face of the man lying before him.

"Damn it," he swore under his breath. Taking the knife out of the fire, Michael placed one hand along the edge of the wound in an effort to keep the man down and then he pressed the flat of the red hot blade to the nearest section of skin.

Roy came awake in a rush. The pain was beyond anything he could imagine. He managed to get a single lung full of air around the cramped muscles in his chest only to have a scream ripped out of him as the blade was pressed harder against the wound. The smell of his own flesh burning filled his nostrils as he tried desperately to get another breath. Why was this happening? Roy wasn't sure all he knew was that he had to get away before he passed out from lack of oxygen. Desperately, he tried to wrench his body away from the knife and the pain. Tears were running unnoticed down his face as he found that he couldn't move at all. Then darkness took over as his oxygen starved brain shut down.


	9. Chapter 9

_I'm sorry it's a little short but I figured I was better off to submit it now. At the rate I'm going the rest of story is going to take a while. Now that I'm getting ready for Christmas I find that I'm easily distracted. Thank you for sticking with me!_

_Susanne_

Sweaty and more than a little shaky, Michael finished what he'd started. He was very grateful when the man had passed out again. It made doing it a little bit easier even though the man still trembled and pulled away when he applied the red hot blade to his skin.

"Is he going to be okay?" Samantha asked, looking at her father with concern. She knew her dad was struggling. She knew how hard Vietnam had been on him and anything that reminded him of the hell he'd survived was going to result in nightmares tonight. That was why she tried desperately to not get hurt. Being a medic had been the only thing Michael had wanted to be when he enlisted in the Army. Now it sent him to a really dark place.

"I don't know," Michael admitted. Absently, he ran his shirt sleeve over his forehead to wipe off the beads of sweat that had gathered. Taking the flashlight from his daughter's slightly trembling hands, he inspected the exit wound more closely. It was kind of ugly but it had stopped bleeding and was looking healthier. Gently, he rolled the man over onto his side so he could get a closer look at the entry wound.

By comparison the entry wound was very small and insignificant. Still, Michael spent a few minutes making sure it was clean and put a couple of stitches into it, just in case. The last thing they needed was for the minor injury to cause more infection. He then examined Roy's broken arm. He was very proud of the work his daughter had done. The arm was as properly set but he did beef up the splint a little bit just to make sure.

"Could you make some tea? We've got to try to keep him hydrated," Michael asked as he looked up at Samantha.

"Sure, Dad," Samantha responded. Instantly she was up and putting water in the pot to boil.

"Thanks, sweetheart," Michael stated. A smile played across his lips while he continued to hover over the man. What were they going to do with him now?

*****

"Hey, Byrnes, you there?" the walkie talkie crackled. The trio had been trekking through the bush for hours with no sign. The sound of his partner's voice was the first words that had been spoken since they'd stopped for lunch. Despair was heavy in the air between the men. Byrnes could almost see the younger paramedic disappearing before his eyes.

"Yeah, Jaime, have you found anything?" Byrnes could feel two pairs of eyes staring at him expectantly. The firemen held onto every word, desperately hoping for some sign of hope.

"Found some blood along the river bank an hour ago. We were going to call when we found what looks like drag marks moving away from the site," Jaime responded. Byrnes could hear the excitement in his partner's voice. Maybe they weren't dead yet.

"We've been following the marks but they've gone over some rocky ground. We need more eyes to figure out where the tracks come off it," Jaime finished. The two rangers spent a few more moments figuring out a good place to rendezvous before Byrnes rang off.

"What does that mean?" Hank asked, glancing at his young paramedic. He knew that Johnny was fighting a devastating sense of lose. He'd been partners and best friends with Roy for years, the thought that they might never find Roy was beyond his ability to comprehend.

"It means that someone may have found your friend. It means that he may be getting medical attention even as we speak. Come on, let's get moving. We have a lot of ground to cover before we can hook up with the others," Byrnes responded. Forestalling further conversation, he headed out in the direction they needed to go.

Catching up with the ranger, Johnny could barely believe his ears. Maybe Roy wasn't dead after all. But then, the blood didn't necessarily have to belong to his friend. Not wanting to continue that line of thought, Johnny tried not to think at all as he struggled to keep up with the slightly taller ranger.

*****

"Are you okay?" Samantha asked as she sidled up beside her father. Michael had been especially quiet since working on the man. Even in the dim light of the fire, she could see the haunted light in his blue eyes. It was going to be a long night.

"Hmmm?" Michael responded as he tore his eyes away from the fire. It took a moment for the words to be recognized. "Oh, sorry. Yeah, I'm fine."

"What do you want for supper?" Samantha asked to keep the conversation going. That was the thing she missed the most while her father was gone. She could only talk so long to Kita before she started to feel like a mental case.

"I don't think I'm in the mood for meat at the moment," Michael said. "How about one of your salads with eggs, we might be able to get him to eat something soft like that?"

"Sure, just give me half an hour," Samantha said as she moved to the baskets beside the fire.

His revere interrupted, Michael turned his attention back to the unconscious figure beneath the furs. Now that Samantha was distracted, he pulled the furs back and did a more thorough exam. All he was wearing was his underwear. At least Samantha had had the sense to leave those on. Being as isolated as they were the question of sex had never really come up. At the moment he was grateful for that.

Michael spent a few minutes wiping the sweat and grime off the man's body. It would be easier to keep infection at bay if he was clean to begin with. Satisfied Roy was a clean as he was going to get him, Michael rolled him over to check his entrance wound again. The bandages were still white so the bleeding had stopped there. Rolling Roy back over onto his back, Michael quickly checked the other minor scrapes and bruises from his trip down the river. Nothing of importance there.

By the time Michael was finished, Roy had started to tremble under his fingers. It took him a moment to realize that the man was cold. Pulling the furs back up to cover him, Michael put his hand to the man's forehead. There was still heat there. Whether it was still infection or a reaction to violence his body had been through of late was anyone's guess.

"Joanne," Roy muttered as he shifted slightly under the furs. His face screwed up as the pain on his side registered and then he settled again.

"Who's Joanne?" Michael asked his daughter as she rattled around the cave.

"He said she is he wife. He wanted me to let her know that he was okay. Obviously I lied to him and said I would. What are we going to do with him?" Samantha asked. Now that the immediate danger was over she couldn't help but wonder what the man's fate would be.

"I saw some rangers searching while I was outside. Now I think I know what they were looking for. If they were closer to the ranger station I'd just leave him out for them to find. Once he's more stable I'll leave him for them to find. Until then he's safer where he is," Michael stated. He looked down at the blond man's face. Even unconscious he was moaning softly and his breath hitched every once in a while. Apparently he was very lucky to be unconscious, otherwise the pain would be awful.

"We can't let them know we're here, can we?" Samantha asked. "They'd take me away and leave you here alone."

"Yes."


	10. Chapter 10

"How much longer 'til we get there?" Johnny asked barely keeping his frustration in check.

"Just around those trees," Byrnes replied. He knew the men were anxious to continue the search in an area they thought their friend might have been in. Hell, so was he! In the time since they'd started this search he'd started to wonder if the paramedic were mistaken or got drunk and thought his friend had been with him. The blood along the river's edge could have come from any number of creatures, only one of them was human.

The firemen had been very quiet since they'd started out in the morning. He knew they were battling between losing hope and holding on to it with every ounce of strength they had. Byrnes had been on enough of the searches to see all the signs. As a result he took nothing they said personally.

"Jaime!" Byrnes called out as they rounded the turn. The others should have gotten there ahead of them. They should also be much drier. Crossing the river again hadn't been a lot of fun, water was still squishing between his toes as he walked.

"Over here!" his young partner called from the far edge of the small clearing. The three firemen were standing nearby.

Finally together again, the A shift of Station 51 looked at each other without saying a word. All of them held a look of quiet desperation. The two Forest Rangers huddled together to examine the markings.

"How are you guys holding up?" Mike asked. He could see the fear Johnny was trying to hide. He could feel it himself when he spent more than a few moments thinking about the chances of finding Roy before he bled to death or was found by a hungry animal. Unconsciously, a chill passed through his body and he shoved the morbid thoughts away.

"Okay, how about you?" Hank answered for both of them.

The three firemen shifted a little and nodded their heads that they were okay too.

"Jaime thinks that the marks we found are from some kind of homemade stretcher. I looked at them too but they just looked like scuffs to me," Chet said just to fill the silence.

Before the firemen could continue their conversation, Byrnes and Jaime moved over to join them.

"I think Jaime's right," Byrnes stated. "We can see where someone cut down branches and tore out vines. It looks like whoever it was made a travois and dragged a much heavier person. We're going to move over to the area where the tracks disappear and begin a grid search."

The senior Ranger paused to glance up at the sun. "We have about three hours of sunlight left. We'll have to meet within two and a half hours to set up camp if we don't find them."

*****

After a quiet meal of salad and eggs, Michael crushed some of the left over ones and moved over to the still mostly unconscious Roy. He'd melted some butter with the eggs so that they would be a little easier to take. He wasn't sure if this was such a good idea but he knew the man needed sustenance. Broth might have been a better idea but they didn't have much but vegetables to make it with.

"Do you need any help?" Samantha asked. She'd just rinsed the dishes and had sat watching her father. Her dad was many things but indecisive was not one of them. She'd seen him hesitate before the man. It wasn't an action she really wanted to see again.

"Ah," Michael temporized while he thought. "Yeah, do you want to hold him up or feed him?"

As much as he preferred his daughter had as little to do with the man as possible Michael knew that he couldn't hold him up and feed him at the same time. He could try leaving the man lying on the ground but he'd be more likely to choke if he did.

"I'll feed him," Samantha offered. Not really liking the idea, Michael lifted the man up and rested Roy's upper back against his chest, he supported the man.

"Don't feed him too much at one time. The last thing he needs is to become hydrated from throwing up," Michael said as he watched his daughter carefully spoon the mush into the man's slack mouth.

"I've done this before," Samantha muttered. Her father has shown up at the cave more than once with gashes, broken bones and occasionally gunshot wounds himself. Not often but usually around the time of hunting season. Carefully she put a small dab of eggs on the spoon and slid it between Roy's teeth.

At first the yellow mash just sat in Roy's mouth. As the seconds turned into a minute, Samantha was starting to panic just a little bit when the man reflexively swallowed and the mash disappeared. A small groan escaped but the food didn't come back up.

By the six spoonful, Samantha had the feeling she was pushing her luck. Roy was taking the food faster but when she placed her hand on his abdomen she could feel the contents roiling around.

"I think that's enough for now," Samantha stated as she moved away. One of the cardinal rules of living in the cave was that you never left uneaten food around. If the flies didn't find it and lay their eggs, the predators of the woods would catch the scent and come looking. Rather than waste it though, Samantha put the bowl down in front of Kita and let the dog finish it off.

Laying Roy down as gently as he could manage, Michael checked his bandages. The wounds were still as clean as they were going to get. Tentatively, Michael placed his hand on the man's head. He still had a fever. Damn.

"Do you want to put the kettle on? We need to make him some willow bark tea," Michael asked his daughter. Taking one of the clean bandages, he soaked it in the cool water in the back of the cave, rang it out a bit and placed it across Roy's forehead. If it got too bad they'd have to consider taking him to the stream and submerging him. That would be the very last resort. Michael didn't want to take the chance of them being found, even if it meant risking their charge's life unduly.

"Sure," Samantha replied quickly. Kita had finished the contents of the bowl so she was rinsing it out. "But we're going to need some more fire wood before too long."

"Maybe tonight, after it gets dark," Michael temporized. He'd see then but only if it was absolutely necessary.

*****

"Over here!" Mike Stoker called out. The group had been searching for hours but he'd finally found the grooves again. In moments the others were surrounding the area of moss the engineer stood on.

"Great!" Bryce responded as he and Jaime knelt down to examine the marks more carefully. The two Rangers conferred as the firemen stood about holding their breath to hear the results of their tracking ability.

"Well??!" Hank Stanley couldn't take it any longer. He was surprised that Johnny hadn't been the first one to demand an answer. A quick glance at his youngest paramedic and the A shift Captain realized that the younger man was nearing a state of shock. Just what they didn't need. Hank turned his attention back to the Rangers for the moment. He'd deal with Johnny once he had as many facts as were available.

"This is definitely the same tracks," Jaime announced. "There's a woman and a dog. It looks like the woman is the one pulling the stretcher."

"And how exactly do you know all that?" Chet demanded. His patience was wearing a little thin too. Give him a straight forward fire any day of the week. This wandering through the woods was too far beyond his usual way of life.

"The foot prints are small, indicating a woman or a child. If it were a young child there would be no way for them to pull a stretcher with a full sized man on it. The dog prints are following to the side of the stretcher. If it were a wolf the tracks are more likely to be in the middle of the trail while it followed the scent," Jaime informed them. He looked up at the firemen and assessed their mood immediately. This search was taking more out of them than they were willing to admit.

"What would a woman be doing out here in the forest?" Marco asked. None of this was making sense to him. If they didn't find some definitive information soon he wasn't sure what they were going to tell Roy's wife. The two paramedics were supposed to be home tonight.

"It's a big park with a lot of caves for people to take residence in. We try to keep them out because not all of them are stable. Unfortunately there aren't enough of us and with the mild climate in California we collect more than our fair share of homeless people," Byrnes responded. He was following the trail, knowing that the others would come along behind. They had just about an hour before they would have to settle in for the night.

"Hey, Johnny, are you all right?" Hank asked as he sidled up beside the dark haired paramedic. They were the last two in the ragged line following Byrnes. He'd made sure of that so he'd have a chance to talk to the younger man without too many ears.

"Huh?" Johnny responded. He'd been in his own little world, trying to figure out what he was going to tell Joanne when his captain had asked the question. "Oh, yeah, I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" Hank persisted. Johnny wouldn't look him in the eye so he knew the man was lying.

Johnny took several more steps before answering. His automatic response had been to insist he was fine but he knew he wasn't. He was staring at the possibility of losing his partner square in the face. His stomach hadn't stopped churning since he'd awakened in the morning. Try as hard as he could, Johnny couldn't quite stifle that sob that slipped between his lips. "I just want him back, safe and sound."

Not knowing what else to do, Hank placed a reassuring hand on the slightly shorter man's nearest shoulder as they tried to catch up to the others. Unconsciously, Johnny placed a hand on top of his captain's and heaved a sigh that came from the soles of his feet. Some of the turmoil in his stomach subsided. They were closer. That was all that really mattered.


	11. Chapter 11

_Hi. I'm really sorry this has taken me so long to get out. Time just seems to be getting the best of me of late. That's what I get for reading other people's stories more than writing my own. Ooops. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this even if it is late and a little bit short._

The night passed quickly. All of the searchers were exhausted physically and emotionally. Very little conversation took place as each man was occupied by their own thoughts. The only real sound was the crackling of the fire sitting between them.

"I'm going to bed," Johnny suddenly declared as he forced his protesting body up from the log he'd been sitting on. He didn't wait for any response as he headed toward his tent. He didn't really think that sleep was going to find him but mostly he just wanted to be alone.

"How's he doing?" Mike asked. He was concerned for the man. Roy and Johnny were more than friends and partners, they were more like brothers. The engineer could only imagine how much Roy's disappearance was hurting the man.

"He'll be better when we find Roy," Hank responded. He really wasn't much in the mood to talk either. Johnny's dark mood was infectious.

"What are Roy's chances now?" Chet asked Jaime. The younger Ranger was sitting beside him. The fireman wasn't sure he really wanted to know but not knowing sucked too.

"From the signs someone's found him. So long as they have medical training he stands a good chance," the blond ranger hedged. He glanced quickly at his superior. He knew Byrnes was aware of how tenuous the paramedic's hold on life would be at this point even without being injured. Jaime just wasn't sure he wanted to be the one to break the news to the men around them.

"We haven't found a body yet, until we do there's always hope," Byrnes stated, without taking his eyes off the flickering flames.

On that cheery note, the other firefighters headed for their own tents. They all wanted to be up with the sun to continue the search.

Michael had no trouble staying awake. Whenever he gave into the need to sleep nightmares permeated his dreams. Shifting his position to relieve aching muscles, the Vietnam vet checked his charge.

Roy had remained unconscious or asleep. Michael assumed that meant he wasn't feeling any pain. Always a good thing but he wanted to make sure the wounds were staying clean. One of the problems with a dirt floor was things never stayed clean for long.

Settling down beside the insensate man, Michael carefully removed the bandages he'd so recently wound around him. He was very relieved to see that there was no more blood on the white strips as he got the last of them off. Roy shifted slightly under his ministrations and a low moan escaped his lips but otherwise there was no response. Michael wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing but it sure made his examination a whole lot easier.

While the wounds looked better Michael could still feel heat radiating off the man's skin. "Damn it," the vet swore under his breath. Desperate, he forced more cold tea down the man's throat. If he stayed too warm for too long they were risking brain damage. On the other hand the only real option open to them involved dunking Roy into the cold water of the stream. The shock could be enough to stop his heart. Not much of a choice.

"We'll have to wait and see if that does the trick," Michael muttered to himself as he replaced the bandages and pulled the fur back up over Roy's sweaty flesh. The man certainly didn't need to get chilled and make matters worse. It was funny how catching a chill was a bad thing when Michael was considering throwing the man's body into a cold river.

"Well, Kita, what are we going to do now?" Michael threw over toward the resting dog. Kita raised her head and looked at her human. She was used to her humans talking to her. For the most part she was even able to understand them but she still hadn't quite figured out a way to communicate properly with them. Satisfied that he'd stopped talking, she rested her head back on her paws. Outside the door she could hear the birds and other animals beginning to wake for the day. Even without looking through the partition she knew the sun was just coming up over the horizon. Another day was starting.

Restlessly, Michael paced around the cave. He was careful to make sure that he didn't disturb Roy. The man needed as much sleep as he could get. Every third or fourth lap he'd stop and check to see if the man's fever was down. For a few brief moments he'd have his hopes up, and then he'd feel the heat coming off of Roy's skin. They didn't have a lot more time they could waste. Once Samantha was up, they were going to have to make a trip to the stream.

In preparation, Michael started to gather the things they were going to need. Getting Roy out to the stream without calling attention to themselves was going to be tricky. If he had to leave Roy lying on the trail to keep from having Samantha discovered, he was fully prepared to do it. No matter what his sense of honour and his conscious were telling him, above all things, his daughter came first.

"Is he any better?" Samantha asked as she entered the main cave. She'd chosen to sleep in her own bed. She could never really sleep properly anywhere else. Even in the dim light of the cave, she could tell that her father was very concerned. Her stomach fell a few inches in reaction.

"No. We need to get the fever down. We'll eat some of the bannock for breakfast and head out. Do you still have your travois made?" Michael inquired.

The trek to the stream was short compared to the one she'd made on the way home. Samantha was grateful that her father was there to help pull the contraption over the narrow path. In most cases it took the two of them carrying it to get over dense vegetation. Kita kept pace, her eyes and nose eagerly taking in their surroundings. She would let her humans know if there were any others around. That was her job after all.

"Okay," Michael said as he regained his breath. They'd laid Roy down beside the stream and were recuperating from the ordeal. The trip home would be slightly easier because they would be going downhill, thankfully. "Get him unwrapped. I'm going to check the area and make sure no one's around."

"Yes, Dad," Samantha replied. Kneeling down beside Roy, she began to loosen the straps. Under her fingertips she could feel Roy's muscles trembling. She couldn't tell if it was from fever or cold. Well, soon enough it would be from the cold water of the stream. As she worked, Samantha sent a silent prayer to the heavens to whoever might be listening. As much as she didn't want to be separated from her father, she also didn't want this man to die.

Finished, Samantha pulled the fur away from Roy's body. In the light of day the stomach wound looked even more ghastly. Tears sprang to her eyes as she oh so carefully reached out to touch the edge of the giant scab covering it. Instantly Roy's muscles contracted and a moan escaped his lips. Weakly, he moved away from her touch. Samantha didn't think he was even awake or aware. Quickly she pulled her hand back and looked around for her father. They had to do this fast, before she lost her nerve.


	12. Chapter 12

The searchers had been up since the light of dawn. Byrnes and Jaime had little trouble following the tracks now that the sun was up. The travois had been heavy, leaving pronounced ruts in the undergrowth and the moist soil.

"We've run out of time, haven't we?" Jaime muttered to his partner. They'd taken the lead and were several feet in front of the firemen.

"Depends on DeSoto's wounds. It also depends on the level of training the person or people who found him have," Byrnes muttered back. He was getting tired of repeating himself.

During the exchange, Hank glanced at his youngest paramedic. Johnny was falling further and further behind. It didn't take a shrink to see that the young man was falling into a deep depression. He shuffled when he walked, his head barely made it beyond the height of his shoulders and he'd barely said three words since waking up this morning. If they didn't find Roy soon, Hank wasn't sure Johnny was going to be able to recover.

Distantly, Hank wondered how his wife had fared in telling Joanne about Roy's disappearance. He'd left instructions with her that if they hadn't returned by last night that she was to go to Joanne DeSoto's house and inform her of what they were doing. He didn't envy her in the slightest. Joanne could have a temper when she was really upset. To block out the unpleasant thought, the captain of A shift lifted his canteen and took a quick mouthful.

"Is there anywhere around for us to get fresh water?" he called out to the Rangers. If he was low on water, his canteen was less than a quarter full, some of the others would too.

"Ah, yeah," Jaime responded. He'd paused for a moment on the path they'd been following and glanced at his supervisor. "There's a stream about three quarters of a mile away. It's some rough terrain but we'll get there faster than going back to the river."

"We'll keep following the tracks until we get a little bit closer. I don't want to take the chance of losing them until I have a better idea of where they're going," Byrnes added. That had been his plan all along but he hadn't bothered to let anyone else in on it. Served him right for playing things so close to the chest.

"Sounds good but let's pick up the pace, okay? It's starting to feel like we're making no headway at all," Hank suggested. Not allowing Johnny a chance to argue, he guided the paramedic in front of him so that he could bring up the rear. Hank was going to make sure Johnny kept up with the others if he had to prod the younger man every step of the way.

Michael returned to the river bank where his daughter was impatiently waiting for him. He was satisfied that there weren't any hunters or other people around at the moment. Hunkering down beside Samantha, he helped her carefully lift the still unconscious man and gently place him in the cool, shallow running water of the stream. "Keep his head above water but make sure the rest of him stays wet," Michael instructed her. "I'm going to keep an eye out and make sure no one interrupts us."

"How do I know when he's had enough?" Samantha asked as she took her position beside Roy. The man looked so small and young lying in the water. The force of the undercurrent was trying to pull the waist band of his boxer shorts down. Not really liking that idea, Samantha moved until she had Roy's head resting in her lap, above the water line and then used her right hand to keep his shorts up. She really had no desire to see any more than she had.

After a few brief moments, Samantha could feel the mountain stream leeching the heat out of her body. Her legs and half way up to her waist were soaked through. All ready her teeth were beginning to chatter slightly as her core body temperature dropped. Why did mountain streams usually come from glaciers? Couldn't this one have been just a little less cold? Not with her luck, Samantha thought as she trickled water over Roy's forehead and chest. The rest of Roy's body was submerged. She didn't have to worry about keeping it wet.

"If he starts to shiver or his teeth start to chatter. Just make sure you keep an eye on his breathing and pulse. The shock of the cold could easily stop one or both of them," Michael informed her. Feeling very exposed, he kept glancing around the vegetation to make sure no one was sneaking up on them. At the last moment the threw some extra advise over his shoulder. "I'll be nearby. If you hear anything or see anything, just whistle."

"Okay, dad," Samantha responded, feeling a little unsure of herself. She looked down at Roy's face, a few inches away from her own. Spasms of pain flashed over his handsome features every few minutes. As the cold of the stream began to register, Roy began to struggle weakly to get away from it. Under normal circumstances the trained fireman would have had no trouble breaking away from the young girl but these were not normal circumstances.

Releasing her hold on Roy's boxers, Samantha shifted around enough to use her legs to force his arms back into the water. It wasn't a particularly comfortable position but it worked. She was careful of the broken arm but still had to keep him from getting away. The last thing the man needed was to take a tumble down the river.

"Roy, hold still," she said quietly in his left ear. The sound of her voice seemed to calm him. Not knowing what else to do, she began to hum softly as she strained to keep him down.

"Joanne?" Roy mumbled, his voice barely audible above the sound of the stream. He was wet. And he hurt beyond anything he thought possible. But he was also so very tired. He didn't even have the strength to open his eyes or to moan as the ripples of pain passed through his body. Distantly he knew the person holding him was not his wife but he couldn't gather enough energy to care.

"No, I'm not Joanne," Samantha said. At least now that he was a little more aware he wasn't fighting any more. She didn't know what else to say. "It's going to be okay."

(Another damn line. I'm starting to get a complex.)

Roy tried to shift into a more comfortable position. It felt like his side and back was on fire. All it took was a fraction of an inch and the pain sliced through his side. Gasping, he tried anew to force his eyes open only to be blinded by the sunlight. Tears collected in the corner of his blue eyes as he allowed them to slam shut again. He could only deal with so much pain at one time. Lights were flashing behind his closed eyelids. Roy knew he was hovering on the edge of unconsciousness. Then he knew no more.

Samantha was relieved when she felt the man's body relax as he passed out again. At least holding him was going to be a good bit easier. With her wet finger tips, she felt Roy's forehead to see if his temperature had dropped at all. It was kind of hard to tell, her fingers were so cold from being in the water that any increase in temperature felt like a fire.

After what felt like an eternity, Samantha noticed that Roy's lips were turning a little on the blue side and that his lower lip was beginning to tremble slightly. She was beyond feeling cold. She knew she was risking the affects of hypothermia but the thought of Roy drowning didn't seem like a good idea either. Looking up through the sparse foliage along the stream bed, she tried to spy her father. She was strong but not strong enough to lift a water logged man out of the stream by herself.

For a brief moment she was captivated by the sparkles of sunlight on the green leaves as they blew in the slight breeze coming down the mountain. It seemed like it had been a very long time since she'd bothered to look around. It was probably the day before her father had disappeared. Sighing, she took a deep breath and trilled a bird call between her lips.

In a matter of minutes the two of them pulled Roy out of the water and had him sprawled on the travois again. Samantha took one of the smaller furs they'd brought along and was quickly drying him off. Under her own numb fingers, she could feel Roy tremble and shiver as his body tried to fight the cold. From one extreme to the other, she thought. But then, that pretty much described their whole life.

"Sssshhh," Michael hissed quietly at his daughter. He'd been scouting the area and hadn't seen anyone but now that they were a little farther from the stream he swore he'd heard a branch snap. Without thinking, he caught hold of Kita's ruff in one hand and Samantha's nearest arm in the other. Silently, he moved them away from the clearing the travois was sitting in and edged them into the thick bush just beyond. Hiding among the leaves, they crouched to see who or what was coming.

(Sorry, these lines keep appearing at random and I can't seem to get rid of them.)


	13. Chapter 13

"How much further?" Chet asked, his voice barely keeping from being a whine. Fighting fires was one thing, tramping through the forest with a minimum of food and sleep was quite another. He wanted to find Roy just as much as the others but his feet were killing him. That's what he got for starting the search in a pair of brand new hiking boots.

(Where are they all coming from???)

"Not much," Jaime called back. Chet had fallen to the end of the line with Hank and Johnny. Mike and Marco were both still rather gung ho in Chet's opinion and so he was letting them help blaze the trail they were making. Jaime and Byrnes were in the lead, setting a very good pace.

Just as the words passed through the young Ranger's lips, they stepped out into a small clearing. The sense of relief was audible as they took in the stream just a few short yards away. Jaime and Byrnes were about the cover the open terrain when something out of place caught their eye. It couldn't be that easy, could it? Jaime thought.

In a heartbeat all seven men made a bee line to the mound a few yards down the stream bank. "Roy?" Johnny breathed as he covered the distance faster than he thought possible. He felt like he was walking in a dream, one he'd been hoping to have since this whole nightmare had begun. He came crashing to his knees beside the crude wooden frame and the animal skins inside it.

"How the hell did he get here?" Hank asked as he joined the young paramedic in doing a quick assessment of his friend. He wasn't sure whether to shout for joy or cry at the sight of Roy's wounds.

"Well, he was obviously brought here by someone," Byrnes replied. It didn't take a medic to know that the man was alive. Beyond all hope, he was still breathing. That fact was clear just by watching his chest move up and down. The feeling that they were being watched itched at the back of his head. Standing by the unconscious man, he looked around to see if there was anything to account for the feeling. Nothing. Shaking his head, he paced a few steps away from the mass of prints by the travois and slowly started to search.

"Roy?" Johnny said now that he had the fur pulled back and got the full scope of his partner's injuries. Fear and dread gnawed at his stomach as he took in the cauterized exit wound, the cuts and bruises and the broken arm. After a quick assessment, he carefully rolled Roy onto his side and examined the wounds on his back as well.

"How is he?" Mike asked. The other three firemen were crouched around Roy as if to protect him from any further harm. They were careful to give Johnny enough room to work but just barely. Mike's cheeks were red as he looked at the senior paramedic lying in his wet boxers and nothing else. He knew the normally reserved Roy would be appalled to be seen like this. The only good thing was that it made examining him that much easier.

"Alive," Johnny stated helpfully. He was too busy pulling supplies out of his backpack and the medical kits so that he could start an IV. Screw Rampart, he wasn't taking the time to ask permission. He could see quite clearly that Roy was dehydrated and was suffering the effects of an infection. He also figured his partner might still be feeling the effects of shock as well. Whoever had been tending him had only had the most rudimentary of medicine to work with. Otherwise he doubted that they would have inflicted the cauterization on him. Distantly, Johnny wondered if the plastic surgeons were going to be able to remove most of the hideous scar that was going to result.

(Out, out damned line! Or was that spot, I can't remember. I really wish they'd stop appearing.)

"What did you find?" Jaime asked as his superior rejoined them. He could see the perplexed expression on Byrnes' face. That didn't bode well.

"Tracks lead a few feet beyond the edge of the clearing heading down stream but then they just kind of vanish. I'm sure whoever brought Roy here is trying to cover their tracks. I'd be more than willing to go after them but our first concern here is getting him out of here," Byrnes replied. He couldn't stop himself from glancing around the forest, looking for further clues. They were so close, he just knew it!

"Get on the radio and see how close they can get a helicopter in here. The peaks on either side are going to make it interesting but I'm sure Henderson will know a spot," Byrnes continued as he turned his attention back to the task at hand. The travois was actually going to come in handy if they had to move Roy to another location to get him out of here.

"Damn," Johnny swore under his breath. He'd pulled off everything that Roy's rescuers had done. He wanted to see the total extent of his partner's injuries. The IV was running full bore into the vein in Roy's left arm. Chet was applying pressure to the IV bag to force the liquid in faster. Johnny paused in his ministrations long enough to run a trembling hand through his dark hair. At least Roy was alive, everything else was immaterial.

"Cap, can you pull that splint off and replace it with a proper one?" Johnny asked as he began doing a more thorough exam of the exit wound. He felt like he needed several more hands, ones that knew what they were doing. The other firemen were great at basic first aid but he needed more. How far away was Rampart?

"Sure thing, John," Hank responded. He motioned for Mike to help him as he began gently untying the knots that held the branches in place. Sidling up beside his captain, Mike caught hold of Roy's broken arm and supported it while Hank worked. Not knowing what else to do, Chet pulled the cardboard splint Johnny had mentioned out of his pack. He placed it and the tape they were going to need within reach of his friends.

"What else can I do?" Chet asked, the IV bag in his hand was nearly empty. "Want me to replace this?"

"Yeah, could you?" Johnny asked. Roy's skin was cold and clammy under his hands. It was very disconcerting for him. He glanced up at his friend's face as he dabbed rather ineffectually at the exit wound. Roy's eyes were still closed but he was grimacing in response to the ministrations.

"The helicopter can't land here. We have to move him to a clearing further downstream about a quarter of a mile away," Jaime stated. He'd just gotten off the radio with home base. Henderson had confirmed that he couldn't land where they were.

(Here we go with the lines again. Sorry.)

"Is he stable enough to move?" Byrnes inquired. He was all ready going over a plan in his head to secure the man to the framework and move him with a minimum of jostling. The fact that the clearing was in the direction he currently wanted to go in was just a bonus.

"Leaving him here isn't going to do him any good. I'll monitor him while we move him," Johnny said. He was bandaging the wounds now that they were properly sanitized. There were a few larger scrapes from Roy's journey down the river but they were going to have to wait. "Just give me a minute."

The trek back down the mountain was much faster than the one up it. Now that they knew that someone, anyone had found Roy other than themselves, they were beating a hasty retreat back to their home. Michael had paused long enough to brush away their tracks but he knew that wasn't going to fool a seasoned tracker for long. Kita was trying to get away from him. He had his fingers wound tightly in her fur. That was the last thing they needed, the dog trying to protect them.

"We're almost there," he whispered to Samantha who was trudging by his side. "Just move as quickly and quietly as you can."

"I know, Dad," Samantha whispered back. They'd left the trail and were slogging through the underbrush while trying to not leave too much of a trail. She felt really bad about abandoning Roy. She'd gotten kind of used to having him around. She especially liked the fact that he hadn't spoken much. Apprehensively, she looked back at where they'd been, hoping against hope to not see anyone. Relief flowed through her when she saw nothing but green foliage.

They travelled for several more minutes without exchanging any further words, none were needed. Now that they were further from the group of men, Kita had stopped pulling. Michael let go of her and watched as she pranced forward, not anxious to get home. So was he. He spared a glance over his shoulder but didn't break stride. They needed to get into the cave quickly, without leaving a trace. Something he was good at.


	14. Chapter 14

_We're coming close to the end. I'm trying to finish this one up so I can get the other two I've started finished too. I've been mentioning lines the last two updates. For some reason the document that I'm writing this on keeps popping random lines onto the screen. I try deleting them and anything else I can think of but they're still there. Until I post it. Yeah, I know, I sound like a real loon. But they were there, honest!_

"Ready?" Byrnes asked. Getting a nod from the men on either side of the travois, they all lifted at the same time and began making their way down the mountainside. He was glad that they weren't going uphill. The frame was heavy enough without climbing too. The only member of the small party not straining under the weight was Johnny. He was pacing beside them, keeping a close eye on his partner.

A small groan issued from Roy's cracked lips. Johnny leaned a little closer and watched as his friend's blue eyes flickered open for a brief moment. Then they slammed shut again. Johnny held his breath as he waited for them to open again. Several steps later, Johnny was just giving into his lungs' need for oxygen when they opened again.

"What?" Roy managed as he tried to blink through the brightness and figure out where he was. The sky was so blue but it kept moving. Somehow that didn't seem quite right. He turned his head and saw Johnny floating beside him. If he'd been standing his legs would have gone weak with relief as it was a small smile played across his face. "Hi."

"Hi to you," Johnny replied, tears coming to the corners of his eyes unbidden and unnoticed. "How are you?"

"I feel like crap," Roy gasped as a new wave of pain flashed through his side. The frame had slipped slightly when Mike had momentarily lost his footing on a large, smooth rock. Tears streamed down from his own eyes as he rode the pain.

"What the hell happened?" Johnny asked. He knew Roy wasn't up to talking but it was just so good to see his friend aware and reasonably aware.

"Not really sure," Roy responded now that he could breathe again. He looked around and found the other members of A shift surrounding him. Suddenly he felt safe. His eyes started to flutter shut again as he began to give in to exhaustion.

"You were shot, that much is obvious," Johnny continued, trying to keep Roy with them. "Who the hell burnt you?"

"Burnt me?" Roy really had no idea what Johnny was talking about. The last thing he remembered clearly was fishing on the river. Everything else was a series of disjointed, distant memories. He knew he'd been in pain and that there was another person there but beyond that it was just a haze. Finding the strength somewhere, he ran his hand down his side. He felt the familiar hair on his chest and a few sore spots he didn't remember having and then he found the bandages. Hum. When did that happen?

"Yeah, someone cauterized the exit wound. I don't know if they saved your life or not," Johnny said. The men around him were starting to breathe heavier the further they went. How did anyone else get this thing up to the stream bed without a small army? None of this was making any sense and he wasn't sure Roy was going to be able to help put the pieces together.

"I'm not sure, junior," Roy muttered. He could tell from the faces of his friends that he was in trouble but he was beyond really caring. His eyes slammed shut and he knew no more.

"How can he not know?" Chet huffed from his position on the frame.

"He's been in pain and unconscious most of the time, I'm not really surprised," Johnny responded as he checked Roy's life signs. How much further could they be going? Roy really needed a hospital. He'd replaced the IV bag for a second time and given Roy IV antibiotics but he needed more.

Finally they reached the clearing just as the helicopter came over the rise and began its descent. The wind of the blades whipped up dirt, leaves and pretty much everything not attached to something. It made seeing what they were doing a little harder. A ranger jumped out of the helicopter after it landed, dragging a Stokes with him.

Johnny hovered over Roy, trying to protect him from the flying debris. They'd placed Roy on the ground at the edge of the clearing while the copter landed. Now the ranger was dragging the Stokes towards them. There was no way he was going to transport Roy strapped down on this wooden frame. He wasn't even sure that the thing would fit in the helicopter.

Quickly and efficiently, the firemen shifted their charge to the Stokes. Johnny made sure the IV was still patent and running before securing a blanket over his friend. Roy would be mortified to know that he was lying here in only his underwear. Besides, Johnny wanted to keep him from getting any colder. He assumed Roy's rescuers had put him in the water to reduce a fever. They'd definitely done that. If anything, Roy was verging on hypothermia.

"Okay!" Johnny called out once he was satisfied that Roy was ready for transport. The helicopter was large enough to fit the Stokes and all the rescuers but just barely. Johnny looked around the clearing, thankful to be leaving it and then he turned and followed the men carrying Roy over to the helicopter. They were finally getting the hell out of here.

As soon as they heard the whap of the helicopter blades, Michael had gone absolutely still. When Samantha stopped and looked back at him she was startled to find a look of abject terror on her father's face. "What's wrong?" she asked moving toward him cautiously.

Scenes of blood, guts, violence and fear were playing through Michael's head in rapid succession. He wasn't aware of the here and now. All he could see was what had happened before. When he was in hell. A small sound issued from his lips as he stared off into the distance. The sound could have been a whimper or a sob but it was too quiet for Samantha to be sure.

She'd seen her dad like this only a few times in her life. Samantha really didn't want to revisit those times but they at least gave her an idea of how to deal with him now. Ever so gently, she caught hold of his nearest hand and began leading him toward the cave. They needed to go underground until this passed. It could take a few hours or a few days. Setting her shoulders as she led her unresponsive father, Samantha determined to wait it out, however long it took. Kita kept running toward them and then heading back toward the cave. Silently, she followed the dog.

"Rampart, this is Squad 51," Johnny said into the radio the rangers had supplied him. Technically he wasn't Squad 51 at the moment but he didn't know what else to tell them.

"Squad 51, this is Rampart. Go ahead 51," Dixie's voice crackled over the airwaves. Johnny could hear concern. Clearly she knew he wasn't on duty.

"I'm in a helicopter transporting Roy to Rampart," Johnny said, breaking protocol. The situation didn't really fit into anything they'd been accustomed to. "He was shot a few days ago, a through and through from back to front in the right lower quadrant of his abdomen. The exit wound has been cauterized. He has a broken right arm and multiple bruises and abrasions. He is also suffering from hypothermia. I don't have a BP cuff but his respirations are 12 and his pulse is 100."

"10-4 51," Dixie responded as she quickly wrote down all the information Johnny had just relayed. She was very careful to keep a distance from what Johnny was saying. Roy was a friend, a good friend. She needed to be able to perform her duties if she was going to be a help and not a hindrance. "Do you have access to IV equipment?"

"10-4 Rampart. I've administered three bags of normal saline. I've run out, I'm now switching to D5W," Johnny informed her. The helicopter was covering the distance to Los Angeles in commendable time but it still wasn't fast enough for Johnny or the firemen sitting on the benches around him.

Dr. Brackett had come up during the last of the transmission. He took the time to read Dixie's expert notes before placing his hand on the radio transmitting button. "51, am I reading this right? Roy was shot 'a few days ago'?" he demanded. He couldn't believe what he'd read. He'd noticed that the A shift paramedics hadn't been there for their scheduled day of work but he hadn't had the time to ask about it.

"10-4 Rampart," Johnny responded, instantly feeling better knowing Dr. Kelly Brackett was on the other end of the line.

"What's your ETA?" Brackett asked. He was all ready running through the scenarios in his mind, determining what they were going to need. He was also planning for every eventuality, even the ones he didn't really want to think about.

Johnny had to check with the pilot before answering. "ETA ten minutes."


	15. Chapter 15

_Hi. So, this is it. I just wanted to thank everyone who's read this and taken the time to review. I also wanted to thank those people who just took the time to read it. You've stuck with me so there must have been a few redeeming qualities to it. _

_Just so you know, I really suck at endings. That's why my stories rarely finish. Let me know what you think._

_Susanne_

The helicopter landed with barely a bump. Then they were throwing the doors open. Dixie and Dr. Brackett were waiting outside with a gurney that they promptly pushed forward. The members of A shift lifted their injured comrade and gently placed the Stokes on top of the gurney. The Rangers had stayed behind in the clearing, intent on continuing their search for Roy's rescuers.

"Let's go," Dr. Brackett barked as they ducked to avoid the rotating blades and ran towards the elevator. It was a tight fit but all six members of A shift made the trip to the emergency room along with Dixie and Dr. Brackett. The ride was silent as the doctor examined Roy for himself. The man's body was twitching and flinching slightly. He wasn't sure if it was from pain or cold or shock. Roy was certainly suffering from all three to some degree.

"I'm going to want to hear this story when we're through," Kelly Brackett muttered as he pulled the blanket back look at Roy closer. The bell dinged and the elevator door slid open. "Let's get him in Exam 2."

"What kind of butcher did this?" Dr. Brackett asked as he cut the bandages away from the exit wound. The work was below remedial. It was something he would have expected as a last resort. But then, until he'd heard the entire story for all he knew it could have been. Roy's breath hitched as he touched the thickened skin.

"I wasn't there when Roy was shot," Johnny said, feeling lower than low. "Whoever found him in the river did it."

"Dix, I'm going to need x-rays, do a full body series so we can make sure it's only his arm that's broken. I also want bloods sent to the lab immediately," Dr. Brackett barked as he palpated the burn and then the abrasions. The rest of A shift had followed them into the room and were standing around the periphery just watching and listening. Johnny was standing beside the bed after helping transport Roy from the gurney to the bed. Now that he'd found his partner, he wasn't about to let him out of his sight now.

Dixie went to the phone and made the call for the portable x-ray and then collected the supplies she'd need to collect the blood samples. Dr. Brackett turned the over head light on and was systematically working his way over Roy's battered body. Roy's muscles trembled under his fingers. His face was placid, not reacting at all to what was going on around him.

"What happened?" Kelly asked as he carefully cleaned each and every mark he found. As much as he wanted to spend his time on the burn he knew he had to make sure everything else was taken care of. The burn was ugly as hell but it wasn't going to get any worse. Not in the next ten minutes anyway.

"We were up in the mountains. We were in different areas so I didn't know he'd been shot. I don't know when it happened. I just know he didn't come back to camp that night. He spent some time in the river before someone pulled him out. I don't know how long that took either," Johnny said. He was feeling very helpless, standing beside his friend. There were so many questions that needed to be answered.

"Okay," Dr. Brackett said as he worked. His hands were moving quickly and efficiently while his mind ran through the list of things they needed to do and placing them in order of importance. "Hang another IV, Dix. D5W, we need to keep him hydrated. Have the OR standing by. Can you also get a new set of vitals?"

"I'll do that, Doc," Johnny said. It was something he could do, something to keep his mind occupied instead of running through all the worst case scenarios. Small sounds were escaping from Roy's partially opened lips but there didn't appear to be any awareness behind them.

"Thanks, John," Dr. Brackett said. He was still concentrating on the injuries and didn't bother to look up.

Johnny accepted the stethoscope and BP cuff Dixie handed him on her way by to the phone again. She had the bloods in her hand and was going to drop them off at the lab personally once she had the OR lined up. Quickly, Johnny placed the cuff on Roy's left arm and pumped it up.

"How's he doing?" Hank called from the corner. He hated standing still. He also knew he had to phone home and let Joanne know what was going on besides.

"He's stable so far," Dr. Brackett responded, still intent on his exam. "The OR is just to try to clean up this mess," he added, indicating the burn mark.

"I'll go phone Joanne. She must be frantic by now," Hank said as he reluctantly left the room. He was followed shortly by Dixie on her way to the lab.

"Has he been conscious at all?" Dr. Brackett asked. He'd reached the burn and paused to look at the younger paramedic's pale face.

"Yeah, for a few minutes but I think the pain's too much. He passed out again," Johnny responded. "Pulse 100, BP 80/50 and respirations 12."

"Thanks. Push that IV in, would you?" Brackett suggested. Since Dixie was gone to the lab, he moved over to the shelves and extracted a bottle of morphine. It may be the pain keeping the senior paramedic unconscious. He could just imagine how bad it would be given the state of his injuries. Filling a syringe with the minimum dosage, Kelly turned back to Roy and put it in the port on his IV. "This should help."

Within a few minutes Roy's eyes began to flutter. Johnny inched closer, practically holding his breath again. Just then the x-ray cart came in followed by an x-ray technician.

"We're going to have to clear the room, boys, while he takes the pictures," Dr. Brackett said. He was sure Roy was going to be okay for just a few minutes. "Take a full body series," he instructed the tech as he escorted the firemen out the door.

Johnny paced by the door, the entire time the tech was inside. He wanted desperately to be there when Roy woke up again. Hank joined the little huddle of people.

"I just talked to Joanne. She's on her way in," he told them. The conversation hadn't been a lot of fun. His wife had called her earlier so she knew Roy was in trouble. Joanne had been a little hot on the phone, until she found out that her husband was in the hospital. Then she cooled down immediately and started to deal with the situation.

"I talked to division as well. They've been in contact with the Rangers, Jaime and Byrnes. They lost the trail. They're going to spend as much time as they can on searching the general area but with it being hunting season, time is in short supply," Hank added. A general murmur of disappointment passed through the men. At the very least they'd have liked to thank whoever had saved Roy's life.

"Thanks, Cap," Johnny responded. He supposed he should have been the one to call Joanne but his only concern at the moment was lying sprawled on the bed beyond the door. Someday when he had more time, he was going to go back up there and see if he could find the person or people himself. He owed them a debt he could never replay.

"He's going to be okay, Johnny," Dr. Brackett assured him. The door opened and the x-ray tech and his machine backed out.

"We'll get these back to you as soon as possible," the tech assured Dr. Brackett as he pushed the machine toward the elevator.

"Thanks," Dr. Brackett said as he headed back inside.

"Hi, Doc," Roy said from the bed. His voice was quiet and hoarse. His blue eyes were clear and tracking their movements. Clearly he was aware of what was going on.

"Hi, Roy, how are you feeling?" Dr. Brackett asked as he quickly crossed the distance to the bed. Automatically he grasped Roy's left arm and began monitoring his pulse. It felt so good to see the paramedic awake.

"Better," Roy responded. He felt more awake and aware than he had since getting shot. "I gather you gave me some morphine?"

"Yes, as well as antibiotics and a vast amount of fluids. We're getting ready to send you up to the OR once we get the x-rays back," Dr. Brackett briefed him. Now that the drug had kicked in, the man was visibly more relaxed. His muscles were no longer twitching or trembling. The thin sheen of sweat that had covered his pale face was starting to dry. Why had he waited so long to give the man pain medication? Brackett wondered to himself. He knew he'd been concentrating on the wounds and that the pain responses actually helped him to identify them better. The knowledge did little to appease his conscious.

"Where's Joanne?" Roy asked. He'd seen Johnny and so didn't have to ask about his partner. The younger paramedic had taken up his position by the bedside. The other firemen were hovering a few feet back. All five of them had huge grins plastered on their faces.

"I just called her, she's on her way in," Hank assured him. "Do you remember anything that's happened over the last couple of days?"

"Days?" Roy parroted. He felt his world shift a little to the left. Had it really been days?

"Yeah," Johnny said. Unconsciously he rested his hand on his partner's shoulder. He needed to know that he was here and that he was okay.

"Wow," was the only thing he could come up with. Blinking his blue eyes, Roy's line of sight came to rest on Johnny's face. His partner looked tired and haggard. Maybe it really had been a few days. Joanne must be a mess. "Sorry about that."

Johnny chuckled despite himself. Relief flowed through his body and mind, leaving him suddenly exhausted and a little shaky. It had been quite the trip. He was going to need a day or two to recuperate.

"You need some sleep, junior," Roy said. He was starting to feel really tired himself. He wanted to stay awake for Joanne's arrival but his body refused. His eyes fluttered and then closed. A deep sigh slipped through his lips as he gave into oblivion.

It took a little while but eventually they had Roy's arm properly set and casted and his wounds debrided and cleaned up as best they could. The senior paramedic was then moved to recovery to allow him to wake from the aesthetic naturally.

The firemen and Joanne hung around in the recovery waiting room. Joanne had been frantic but now she was calmer as she sat beside Johnny, their hands intertwined in fear and the need for comfort.

"Thank you for finding him," Joanne finally said. She could see from Johnny's face how hard the whole experience had been on him. Her husband's partner had been suffering his lose for days while she'd just found out this morning. She'd had a lot less time to worry.

"I'd love to be able to take the credit but it was a fluke. We were looking for water when we found him beside the stream. If it hadn't been for the Rangers that were leading us, we might never have found him," Johnny admitted, his head hung down between his shoulders.

"You still brought him home. Thank you," Joanne said as she gripped his hand a little tighter.

Just then the recovery nurse came into the room. Since the only people in the room were huddled together, she guessed that they were all here for her patient. "Mr. DeSoto?" She called, just to make sure.

"Yes?" Joanne said, standing up. Her heart was in her throat.

"He's awake. We're just moving him into a room for a night of observation. I'll let you know when you can see him," the nurse informed them.

"Thank goodness," Joanne breathed. The men surrounding her also visibly sagged in relief. Johnny was forced to sink back into his chair as he knees became weak.

"Just give us a few minutes," the nurse said before excusing herself from the room.

Those few minutes seemed to last an eternity. Finally, the nurse returned and ushered the group toward a private room further down the hall.

Opening the door, Joanne stepped inside, closely followed by Johnny and the other firemen. A small gasp escaped her when she saw her husband lying peacefully under the white sheets. His eyes were closed and his mouth slightly open as if he were asleep.

"Roy?" she called out hesitantly as she covered the ground between the door and the bed.

Instantly Roy's eyes were open and he was searching for his wife's face. A smile spread across his features as he found her standing beside his bed with the others gathered around behind her.

"Hi," he said quietly. The morphine had taken off the edge of the pain from his various wounds. Now that the surgeons had worked on the burn over the exit wound his skin wasn't nearly as tight so it didn't send waves of pain through him. Unless he moved wrong which he was being careful not to do. His hand was itchy under the cast but that was a minor inconvenience. Some of his other scrapes stung a bit under the pyjamas the staff had put on him. He was rather chagrined to find out he'd arrived in his boxer shorts and nothing else. He was sure there was a story behind that but he wasn't sure he wanted to know the details.

Joanne pulled the lone chair up beside the bed. Carefully she took hold of Roy's hand and brought it to her lips. "How are you?" she asked when she could find her voice.

"Better," Roy responded, smiling at his friends hovering in the background. The pallor of Johnny's face and the exhaustion on his face concerned him. He had no idea how hard the last few days had been on his partner.

"Now that we know you're okay, Roy, we'd better head home. We're going to be on shift in two days and need to get some sleep," Hank said. He knew despite being released from the hospital, Roy would not be joining them for a couple of weeks. The cast on his arm said as much as did the surgery he'd just had done.

"Sure thing, Cap," Roy responded, a crooked sort of grin playing across his features. There was no way he could ever repay what these men had done for him. There were no words to express how much they meant to him. Instead, he nodded that he understood and tried to keep the tears out of his eyes. That would really freak them out. "Thanks for everything."

"No problem. We'll talk to you tomorrow." Mike, Marco and Chet said their goodbyes and followed their captain out the door.

"Hey, junior, why don't you go home and get some sleep too? You look like hell," Roy said taking in the stubble on Johnny's cheeks, the dark circles under his eyes and the haunted look in his brown eyes.

"Are you sure?" Johnny asked. He wasn't quite ready to leave his partner. He'd only just found him after days of fear and worry. It had been hard enough to let him go into surgery without being there to watch over him.

"Yeah, I'm sure. I'll probably be asleep most of the time anyway," Roy assured him. All ready, his eyes were starting to get heavy again. Whether that was from his injuries, the morphine or from exposure he wasn't sure. At the moment he didn't really care. Johnny was safe, Joanne was with him and he was back in civilization. Nothing else really mattered.

"Okay, well, I'll come back later," Johnny said, suddenly feeling deflated and exhausted himself. He wasn't even sure he had enough energy to make it out the front door. Then he realized he didn't have a vehicle. Oh, well, he'd figure that out. Maybe Dixie could give him a ride. He turned to leave, hesitation in his steps and his body language.

"Hey, Johnny," Roy called out to him. The young paramedic stopped and half-turned toward his friend. "Thanks for getting me home in one piece, sort of."

"Well, you're sort of welcome," Johnny replied, a smile tugging at his lips. As he watched Roy's eyes closed and he sighed deeply as he fell back asleep. Joanne took a moment to plant a gentle kiss on Roy's forehead before she followed Johnny out of the room.

"Come on, John, I'll give you a ride home. I have to go get the kids from the neighbours. I just had to see for myself that he was okay," she explained as she guided the clearly exhausted man down the hallway. He'd helped Roy make it home. Now it was time for her to make sure this younger man made his way home safely too.

"Are you sure?" Johnny asked. He was having a little trouble focusing his eyes. They were a little on the blurry side. He knew it was from exhaustion. He'd probably had all of four hours of sleep since Roy's disappearance.

"I'd give you a ride anytime, John. You're my hero. I'm sure Roy and the kids would agree."

Unsure of how to respond to that, Johnny kept quiet and allowed his best friend's wife to lead him toward the door. Bed suddenly sounded like a very good idea. No more camping trips for a while, that was for sure. Distantly he wondered about Roy's rescuers and what was going to happen to all their camping gear. He decided that was going to have to wait for another day. Right now, going home, knowing Roy was okay was enough.

"Thanks," he said to the woman. Then they left Rampart and headed home.

The End.


End file.
